Silent Music
by Kharissa
Summary: "It was a bitter cold, snowy winter day. I'd feel pretty bad if anyone were walking in this. So naturally, I felt pretty bad about myself". Matthew Williams has been on the road for five years, living off of his talent with the violin. But when a stranger takes him in, both their lives change forever. Multi-chapter, T for possible triggers. Human AU
1. New House, New Life

It was a bitter cold winter day. I would feel pretty bad if anyone was walking in this. So naturally, I felt pretty bad about myself. I was walking along the highway, in a blue plaid shirt, ripped jeans and shoes that were almost falling apart. My violin was in it's bag and I was wearing it like a backpack. Though, that's exactly what the case was; usually it would hold money, a water bottle and food, but... I'd run out of money four days ago. I was so hungry... Thirst wasn't that big of a problem, because I could just eat the snow.

It was about a day's walk to the next town, and I honestly didn't think I would make it. If I did, I'd go to a shelter, though that was against my personal codes... ever since _him_. At least I would probably get some rest there, then I could go out into the street, find downtown and start playing to get money.

A car passed me. It was black, so I guessed it was pretty warm... must have been nice. I hadn't felt warm for the longest time, probably since summer. That was... five or six months ago. My violet eyes flicked back to watching my feet crunch in the snow. When I looked up again the car had stopped beside me. Trying to be polite, I stopped.

"I-Is there anything I c-can do for y-you?"

The man was quite obviously an albino, but his eyes weren't the usual blood-red. They were more... ruby coloured. He looked me over and frowned.

"You need an awesome ride somewhere?"

Then, I had an internal fight with myself. On one hand, it would be a lot faster to get to the next town, and I could get to a shelter with the guarantee of being alive. But on the other, this guy had a house. And that meant he might take me in, even if just for the night. His voice broke through my thoughts.

"Or do you need a place to stay?"

"F-for how long w-will I be staying?"

"As long as you need to, Birdie"

Birdie? He... just gave me a nickname? I shook my head to get rid of any lingering thoughts of walking the rest of the way and nodded my head. He unlocked the car and I got in the front seat with him. Once I was in, he started driving. I opened the case to my violin to make sure it was okay, something I did whenever I got a moment's rest. The man flicked a switch and suddenly the car was warm. I hugged my knees to my chest, hoping to warm the instrument with body heat and the heat from the vehicle.

The man's phone rang, and he picked it up, plugging it in somewhere and suddenly I could hear the voice coming from the speakers. It was a voice in German, and it brought a smirk to the man's face. He talked to the other man and said other man exclaimed something. I guessed the albino was telling about me.

Eventually the yelling calmed down and the first German voice said 'Fine... as long as he stays out of my way'. I smiled, though there wasn't anything behind it. I could tell the albino saw this.

"So Birdie... you want to stay at the house permanently?"

I nodded. It would definitely beat walking for days on end just to go to a place, playing for hours only to get twenty bucks maximum. Though, on one of my first towns someone gave me 50 dollars... I didn't have to play for a while after that.

"Good, because you were going to anyways. There's no way the awesome me would let you freeze to death! Oh, bruder told me to ask you some things. You addicted to anything?"

I shook my head and wiggled my big toe through a hole in my shoe.

"Good... are you homophobic?"

Again, I shook my head. Being homophobic would mean that I'm a hypocrite, because I'm gay. Part of the reason why I was living off of the violin...

"Do you have any life-threatening allergies or anything unawesome like that? Basically, anything wrong with you that needs the hospital?"

I gave the same answer and checked on the violin again. I didn't think I had any allergies, though I'd been living off of Faygo and delhi meat for the longest time.

"What's your name?"

"M-Mathew Williams"

"I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt, and my bruder is Ludwig. His husband lives with us, and his name is Feliciano. Just call him Feli though, or he'll get all upset and run to Luddy"

I smiled a little, though it was just as genuine as last time. My violin was starting to overheat, so I took it out of the bag and set it on my lap, checking on the strings and checking the tuning. Everything was fine, so I nodded and looked out the window. The world was passing by in a blur, though there wasn't much but white. I remembered when I was so excited for winter, because it was fun. Then again, everything's fun in the eyes of a child.

I supported my head on my arm as my eyelids drooped. I looked over at Gilbert and he was turning his music down.

"Go to sleep, Birdie... we won't be at the house for a while"

I did as he asked, singing myself a lullaby quietly. I didn't want to disturb the man that'd been so nice as to take me in... though I still had no idea why. When I woke up again we were pulling into a driveway. Some people were standing outside, and I guessed they'd been waiting for me. I zipped up the violin bag and got out of the car, walking slowly with my head down. It was just a habit; the only time I wanted to meet people's eyes was when I was playing. I stopped in front of the people and Gilbert walked beside me. He smirked and introduced the two in front of us.

"Birdie, this is Ludwig" He pointed to the taller, blond man, who nodded in acknowledgement. "and this is Feli"

The one named Feli bounded up to me and hugged me like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Ludwig pulled his husband off of me, though I didn't mind the hug... I guessed it was because he didn't know if I was dangerous or not. Understandable.

"Sorry about that, Matthew... and welcome to the house. You will be staying in the basement with bruder, ja?"

I nodded and Gilbert walked ahead of me. The three went in the house. I paused for a little, looking the place over. It was a two storey brick house, with an... old feeling to it. I liked it. I walked inside and found my way to the basement, where the albino was waiting for me. He offered to take my bag, but I declined.

"Well, you should probably have a shower... my clothes will be a little big on you, but it's better than having to wear Luddy's, kesese!"

I nodded again and he dug through his drawers. I was handed a pair of plaid pyjama pants and a white shirt that looked several sizes too big for me. There was a shower in the basement so I just showered there. I took a quick, hot shower and got dressed in the bathroom. I shook my head quickly to get it into a somewhat respectable style and walked out. Gilbert was sitting on the floor in front of a big TV, some gaming controller in his hand.

"SHITSHITSHIT RUUUUUUN YOU LITTLE SHIT! Come on, you stupid fucking unawesome - YEAH! TAKE THAT, SON OF A- Oh hallo Birdie, kesesese!"

"B-bonjour... what a-are you playing?" I asked, being polite. I did know a little about video games, I watched... my brother play them a lot...

"Ju-On, the Grudge... it's a fucking scary game. The awesome me loves it!"

I looked around for my violin bag. That was the one thing I had to my name, besides... two nicknames. One being Birdie (which I still didn't understand) and Silent Music. That was how I usually introduced myself when I was going to play the violin. People payed more attention, and usually gave more money... which was good. that meant I had more to live off of.

"Looking for your violin of awesomeness? It's on the bed... which we're going to have to share"

I nodded, though he couldn't see. I'd figured as much. Even though Gilbert had called his brother, they couldn't have gone out and got another bed just for me. Even still, I would have been happy with the couch... it sure beat the rotting wooden floor of an abandoned house.

I sat on the bed and opened the violin case. A five dollar bill fell out, and I wanted to beat myself over the head with something. That was enough to get me a pack of hot dogs, for maple's sake! Sighing, I put it in the front pocket for possible use later. I looked back to Gilbert and the screen of the TV. He was taking a rest from running.

"Kesese, looks like the awesome me evaded her! I'm so awesome, kesesesese!"

"L-look behind you"

"Birdie, there's no wa- FUCKING SHIT AAAAAGH!"

The albino threw the remote-type thing. I caught it while he fell back, laughing nervously.

"A-aheh, kese sese sese... the awesome me wasn't scared, and I totally didn't die... I just... hit the menu button... kese..."

A genuine smile fought it's way to my face. His ruby eyes, all wide with obvious fear and a little excitement was funny. I handed him the remote, but he just shut off the TV. He crawled on the bed beside me and looked me over.

"Ah, I guess we should feed you, huh? When was the last time you ate?"

"F-four days ago..."

"HOLY SHEISSE! BRUDER, GET SOME FOOD READY!"

Ludwig's voice travelled down the stairs, saying that food was ready. Apparently it was pasta night, because that's what Felici- ah, Feli kept going on about. I highly doubted he did that all the time. With my stomache growling so loud I thought it was going to eat me, we went upstairs. I was right; there was a huge bowl of pasta in the middle of the kitchen table. What smelled like garlic bread was set beside four plates. There was a glass of water at one plate, two cans of beer at two other plates and a glass of red wine at another. I guessed the one with water was for me. I would have to try not to chug it, because I... well, I guess I could have, but that probably wasn't polite. I hadn't had to use table manners in... almost five years.

Gilbert made sure he was beside me, which was good. It felt... protective. Maybe it was just because he was the one to find me, and not the bigger blond or the Italian. Feli said grace, and everyone grabbed their forks. Not knowing what to do, I just watched everyone get forkfulls of pasta and put it on their plates. I did the same, hoping to not spill anything. I managed to make a meatball roll onto Gilbert's plate, though. He just chuckled and put it back on my plate.

The pasta really was good, and not just because I hadn't eaten in a couple days. I told Feli that and he went into a flurry of... hm. Italian, German, Spanish and a little English. The basic translation (provided by the albino beside me) Was that he was glad I liked his pasta, and if I ever wanted him to make some for supper again, I just had to ask. I couldn't eat much, because my stomache wasn't exactly used to full meals. When we were done, Ludwig took the dishes and called me over.

"Mat, come with us to the living room"

Feli started freaking.

"VE, LUDDY! DON'T KICK HIM OUT, I WANT HIM TO STAY!"

"FELICIANO! I am not kicking him out, he lives here now. I just need to know about him, so we can see what we can do for him"

"Y-you've already done a lot," I said quietly. "A-after all, I haven't been this warm and full in a while"

All three looked at me with small smiles. Ludwig walked to the living room and I followed, not wanting to make him angry. It was clear he was the 'man' of the house. We sat down on the couch. Feli sat on Ludwig and Gilbert sat on the floor in front of me. He was smirking, but his eyes were tight. Ludwig sighed and looked at me.

"Mat... please don't get upset, but I need to ask you some questions"

I nodded and let my hands fall limp in my lap.

"Are you afraid of dogs?"

"N-non"

I didn't mind dogs at all. But I liked cats better. An albino kitten had managed to convince some more people to give me money when I was down to my last dime (literally) on my first winter alone. After, the kitty smirked and walked away. I never saw that him again.

"You don't have any family to go to?"

"N-non"

"Where are they all?"

"M-my cousins a-are in Britain and France, my brother o-owns a cattle ranch in Texas and my dad... m-my dad... doesn't w-want t-to see me..."

"What about your mutti, Birdie?"

Though I whispered, the sound resounded off of every object in the room.

"She's dead"

Gilbert shifted on the floor, obviously trying to get my attention. I looked at him through slightly blurry eyes.

"Birdie... can you tell us your story, everything awesome and/or unawesome that's happened to you?"

I hugged my knees to my chest and whispered as I spoke. A few people had asked why I was on the street, but I usually said I'd fallen on hard times. They nodded and usually gave money, which was enough for me. But, I guessed it was time to be honest.

"My b-brother and I are twins... but my maman died giving birth to me. Because of that, dad didn't like me, and hardly payed me any attention, g-going for my brother instead. When I was seventeen and had just graduated-"

"Isn't the usual age for an awesome graduation 18?"

"O-oui, but I skipped a grade... a-anyways, when I was just out of highschool, I came out to my father... he kicked me out, saying he didn't want a 'homo interfering with his perfect family'. I-I was allowed to take two things, s-so I took the violin a-and a picture of my maman, s-so I could dream of what a family actually was... where h-home would have been. I left a-and I haven't gone back since. Everyone had left before me, s-so I don't know what dad was talking about when he said 'perfect family'. I've b-been on the road for five years, playing for money u-under the name 'Silent Music'. My first few weeks were... horrible. I-I couldn't play that well, so I ended up going to a shelter. One of the p-people living there taught me how to play by ear, s-saying I had untouched p-potential. We played together f-for a little, until I admitted I... I liked him. He... rejected me s-so harshly I left, and ever since then I've been going from town to town playing... I've g-gone as far as Quebec, where I stayed for a year a-and learned french. I... I guess that's it"

The silence for me was uncomfortable. Everyone was wrestling with what I'd just said, and honestly I was too. My inner struggle came out in the form of tears. I don't know how it happened, but when I lifted my head I was sitting on Gilbert's lap, his arms around me and his ruby red eyes filled with compassion. My arms were wrapped around his neck and shoulders pretty tightly... it almost felt like I was holding on to something real. I had thought I'd been dreaming up until that point, or maybe I'd died and this was what heaven was like. But... looking into the scarlet that appeared to be mimicking the swirling, popping patterns of the sun, I realised this was for real.

Another set of arms joined the hug, and surprisingly enough it was Ludwig's. Feli jumped onto the other side and we had a group hug... though it felt like they were a blanket I'd hide under as a child, hoping dad wouldn't hit me. I rested my head on Gilbert, so the curve of my nose was around his neck and the top of his collarbone was against my face. He pressed his cheek to the top of my head. I figured he was silently telling me everything was okay now, that nothing would happen. In that hug, I guess a bond was formed between us. Us meaning all four of the people in the hug. I felt my eyelids droop, and suddenly they closed. I was really tired; I'd stayed up the four days I went without food. I figured I should just keep going, wait until the next town and then get sleep. I felt someone pull back from the hug, and I guess it was Ludwig.

"Bruder, he looks pretty tired... you should take him to bed, ja?"

"Ja... check on the puppies, Luddy... goodnight"

Gilbert stood up and was still holding me. The rocking motion of his seemingly careful walk was calming, and before I knew it I was on the verge of sleep. But right before I was claimed by the realm of dreams, I whispered something against his neck.

"Gil... merci"

And I was out like a light.


	2. Puppies and Clothes

When I woke up, I was surrounded in warmth, and the source of it seemed to be under me. I snuggled closer to it and wrapped my arms around it, feeling it rise and fall underneath me. There was a hand that threaded itself through my hair. It caught a few knots, but I didn't mind. What kind of street person would I be if I couldn't stand a little pain? I tried to time my breathing with the rising and falling, so I wouldn't have what felt like someone's ribs digging into mine and vise versa. Eventually though, I had to get up. I lifted my head and I was met with ruby-coloured eyes and a half-asleep smirk.

"Morning, Birdie! Did the awesome you enjoy sleeping on me, kesese?"

I squeaked and rolled off, but I was caught by an arm.

"I wouldn't roll to far, Birdie... you were almost at the edge of the bed"

"O-oh... merci beaucoup, then"

"You are awesomely welcome, Mattie! So, bruder and Feli are out of the house, and you didn't get a tour. You want a tour of awesomeness?"

Honestly I hadn't remembered what happened last night until that point. I was freaked because I was in a bed with someone, and I was pretty sure I hadn't resorted to selling myself yet. Feeling kind of silly that I was a little worried, I nodded my head. I probably had a serious case of bedhead because my hair was pretty thick. We got out of bed and I walked to the bathroom, looked in the mirror and found that my hair looked like a giant cornpuff. Sighing, I tried to pat it down. It worked... somewhat, but there were still a few pieces sticking out. I walked out and Gilbert was in pj pants, with no shirt on. I felt something inside that seemed like a long-forgotten emotion, but I shrugged it off. If I had ignored it so far, it couldn't be that important. Right?

"G-Gil, where's my violin?"

"On the desk, now what do you want the awesome me to make for breakfast?"

"A-anything's fine.. I'm not a picky eater"

"I would guess not... wurst and fried potatoes sound awesome?"

"O-oui"

I walked to the living room while Gilbert was getting down the ingredients for... potatoes and whatever wurst was. I picked up the violin case and sat in the middle of the floor. Gently, I took the instrument out and ran the bow over it quietly, making sure everything was in order. I set them back in the case and took out the picture of Mama carefully, like it would fall apart at any moment.

"Bonjour, maman... comment ca va?"

I would always envision her in my head, everything from her real smile to her voice.

'I am doing well, Matthew. Now, go out into the world and prove to everyone that you're worth something'

I usually didn't say anything else to maman, but this morning I had to. I had to tell her that I'd found a home, and in my mind she smiled, patted me on the head and turned away.

"Good... someone sees you for what your father couldn't... but, I have to go now. Be good, okay?"

I didn't want to, but I nodded and watched her walk away. Sighing and feeling a few tears escape, I set everything back in the case. I closed the bag and stood up, surprised to find Gilbert leaning against the door frame with a sad smile.

"You really miss her, huh?"

I was pretty surprised that was all he'd said. Usually if someone caught me, they'd whisper something about me being crazy and walk away. I could feel more tears well up, and before I knew it they'd spilled over. I sat on the ground again and cried silently, trying to keep myself from sobbing. Somehow, I succeeded. I felt arms wrap around my shoulders, and before I knew it I was crying into the albino. He didn't seem to mind at all, which shocked me more. I'd never cried on anyone; I'd always expected them to tell me to grow a pair and walk away. But... somehow, Gilbert was different from the norm. When I finally stopped crying (after a good ten minutes) we walked to the kitchen. There were two plates with potatoes and what looked like sausages on them. I looked at Gilbert and he smirked.

"This is my specialty meal, so eat up vogel!"

"V-vogel?"

"Ja! It's German for 'bird'"

"O-oh... then that's... four nicknames I have th-then"

"What's the fourth?"

"S-Silent Music"

"Ah... stage name, I'm awesomely guessing?"

"O-oui... Introducing myself as 'Matthew Williams' Isn't exactly money-friendly"

Gilbert nodded and got a jug of milk from the fridge. He grabbed two glasses and set them down. Speaking of glasses, I didn't have mine...

"G-Gil?"

"Glasses?"

"O-oui"

"Ah... I think Feli took them while he and West were going out the door. He said something about the world looking 'Funny like-a overcooked lasagna noodles'. Can you see up close?"

"O-oui, I can see for a few feet in f-front of me"

"Awesome! Well, start eating! It's not going to magically transport to your stomache, kesesese!"

I chuckled and began to eat. I tried the potatoes first, and before I knew it those were gone. The wurst was also disappeared rather quickly. Though, an entire plate of the food had filled me up. Gilbert handed me a glass of the white liquid to wash everything down with, which I chugged. I sat back in the chair and let my arms hang. But something slimy and warm dragged itself along the back of my hand...

"Aster! You should be awesomely looking after your puppies! Oh... nevermind, you brought them with you, kesesese!"

I sat up and looked down. There was a golden retriever and it's puppies to my right. I held out my hand for Aster to sniff, and it licked my hand again. The puppies were jumping up on the chair, so I got up and walked to the living room. I sat down and was immediately attacked by an onslaught of fluffy adorableness. They licked every inch of skin they could find before Gilbert pulled a few of them off.

"Oh, I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but me and West are dog breeders! We have golden retrievers, Dobermann and short-haired German Shepherds... you wanna see the rest of the puppies?"

I nodded my head and was helped up. With the dogs at our heels (literally.. one of them nipped me) we walked to a room behind the kitchen. There were two other litters there, which were the breeds Gilbert had said. They waited until I was seated on the floor, then about twenty puppies jumped at me, including the golden retrievers. They managed to knock me down, and I laughed while getting tickled by the noses and tongues of them. The older dogs came and got their litters off of me. I think I was dripping with puppy saliva. Gilbert chuckled and threw me a towel. I wiped all the remnants off of me and looked at Gilbert, confused as to where to put the dirty towel.

"I'll show you on the tour, so come on!"

We walked out of the room, despite the puppies' pleading expressions. The albino said something in German to them and they calmed down... er, got excited again and started annoying the bigger dogs. I was shown the upper level of the house. There was the 'main' bathroom, Ludwig and Feli's room, a guest room, the study (which apparently only Ludwig used) and a games room. There was board games, video games and a few decks of cards. I walked in and looked at some of the titles of the games. They had Candyland, Life, Monopoly, and Snakes and Ladders among other titles. I didn't realise I was still holding the towel until it was taken out of my hands and thrown into a random room.

"So Birdie, you wanna play some awesome video games downstairs?"

"O-oh... um, I'll j-just watch... if that's okay"

"Ja, it's awesomely fine! You can play my DSi if you want"

I nodded and we descended the stairs to the basement. Gilbert sat down in front of the TV, after turning off the lights I guessed he was going to play a scary game... probably Ju-On again. I was proven correct. I layed on my stomache on the bed at an angle where I could see the TV. I noticed him take a deep breath before he clicked on his last save.

It was actually a pretty entertaining hour. Every time Gil got scared he'd start denying it right after; sometimes he was so scared he denied it in German. And then realised I didn't understand a word of what he was saying. Eventually I did pick up his DSi, and found a Pokémon game in it. I started a new game, using the fire pig thing. All the Pokémon there were Pokémon I'd never heard of, but it was the new game... I think it was White. I looked up in time to see Gil pause the game right when the girl's face was in direct view of the camera. I just looked back to my game; the genre of horror didn't bother me at all. Mostly because in the five years I was homeless, I saw some pretty horrific things.

"You doing okay Birdie?"

I nodded and frowned when my... Tepig, I think it's called... I frowned whan that got defeated by a bird thing. I felt the albino sit beside me, and he watched me play.

"Birdie, you have too many non-attack moves... you need at least two, though it is possible to just power your way through the game"

"O-oh... merci b-beaucoup"

"You're welcome! I'm going to play Amnesia, because it takes place in Prussia!"

"Y-you have an interest i-in Prussia?"

"Ja, because that's where I come from! And before you argue, technically it's 'East Germany' but that sounds so bleck"

"I-I wasn't going to argue... b-but that sounds cool"

"Oh.. usually when I tell people I'm from Prussia they shove historical facts down my throat or say they've never seen it on the map"

I shrugged and the albino grabbed a different controller. He started the game and this time I put down the DSi to watch. My understanding of the game was the only thing you could do was run and hide, and hope the weird monster things didn't catch or find you. You were trying to get through a castle, and occasionally I would see a Prussian Eagle banner hanging on the walls of stone. Gilbert always had a pleased smirk whenever I pointed it out to him. He played until we heard the door open and close, and the cheerful voice of Feli and the... not-so-cheery voice of Ludwig. Gilbert and I left the ame to go see them. They had groceries, and other things.

"Matthew, come into the living room again, please"

I did as I was asked and sat on the floor. There was a yell from the kitchen and a puppy came scampering over, then jumped into my arms and snuggled. Feli came in and did a bouncy-thing.

"Ve, Mister Polar-Puppy likes you!"

"W-why is he named Mister Polar-P-Puppy?"

"He's a different breed than all the others, because we took him in off the street. We think he's part bear... mostly because he's just a little smaller than the norm for a bear cub, and his ears are rounded. Though Feli is right, he does appear to like you"

I scratched the puppy's chin and looked and looked at the German who had seated himself on the couch. He set a bag down in front of me. Curious (and with permission) I shifted the little one in my arms and looked in the bag. There were a few pairs of jeans, a red sweater, a few t-shirts, some pj pants, a toothbrush and a mug. I looked up with a genuine smile on my face and felt arms around me.

"Y-you got this for me?"

"Ja, of course! The awesome you needs clothes! I'll take MPP, you go try everything on. Oh, and there's boxers and socks in a different bag"

I grabbed the bag and almost ran downstairs. I was so happy to finally get my own clothes, after having lived with the plaid shirt and the ripped jeans for so long. Everything fit well; I was surprised they knew my size! I walked back up in black jeans and the sweater, smiling at everyone.

"H-how does it look?"

"Like you're at home, kesese!"

"B-by the way, h-how did you know what size to get me?"

"Ve, I have a good eye for sizes! I used to make costumes for movies and stuff like that, but then I met Luddy and I didn't need that anymore because all I need is him!"

"Kesese, bruder you look like a tomato!"

"Shut it, Gilbert... anyways, Matthew we have some people coming today to look at the dogs, so you and bruder will be getting new shoes and going around town. Got it? Ja? Good. Feli, ah...c-come help me, please. Bruder, you get $100"

Gilbert smirked and chuckled, while Feli was giggling. I was... sort of scared of Feli, because the laugh didn't seem very innocent. I grabbed the violin case and slung it over my shoulders, then slipped on my poor excuse for footwear. Gilbert smirked again and leaned against the door.

"Planning on making another public appearance, Silent Music?"

"Q-quoi?"

"You have your violin"

"O-oh, oui... it's basically my backpack, a-and my wallet, and my life support"

"Ah... oh by the way. Do you have your birth certificate and health card?"

"Oui, th-they're in an inside pocket"

"Awesome! Alright, the awesome us is off! BRUDER! MAKE SURE NO ONE TAKES MPP!"

The answer was merely a grunt, and a shirtless Ludwig came downstairs, picked up the puppy and carried him upstairs. A door closed and we heard something creak, a lot like a bed... and we were out faster than the two upstairs could 'help' one another. We ran a little away from the house, before looking back and sighing in relief. Gilbert looked at me with a smile this time as we walked to who-knows-where.

"So Birdie, what do you know about this town?"

"U-um... that you live in it, a-and now it's my home?"

"You didn't see the sign- oh right, you were dead asleep. Okay, this place is called Crescent Cross, and there's a huge German-Italian influence here. Almost everyone knows English, but it's better if you know German and Italian"

"I-I know French... a-and Italian and French is pretty close"

"Ja, but German is kind of off that map... it's not one of the 'Romance' languages"

"T-true... does Feli speak German?"

"Ja, he speaks it pretty well... sometimes when he forget's the awesome me's home, he sings German opera... he's a soprano, but I guess you could have figured that out. So, what kind of shoes do you like, Mattie?"

"Oh, um... I-I don't know... something comfy, b-but still wearable i-if I have to be on foot for long periods of time?"

"Hm... skater shoes would be awesome for you then. By the way, you do realise you won't have to play for money anymore, ja?"

"O-oui, but it would be nice to take walks around the town"

"True. Okay, we're at the awesome me's favourite shoe place!"

The name of the store was in German, so obviously I couldn't read it. I would have to get Gil or Ludwig to teach me German. Because I kind of needed to know if someone was trying to kidnap me or return something... with my experiences with German, I couldn't tell.


	3. Gilbird Samwise Beilschmidt the First

We walked in the store and a man at the front greeted us in German. I'd had a... slight problem with strangers speaking German to me, because when I was little, I almost got abducted by a person who only spoke that language. Gil and Ludwig were fine, because they spoke English too. I know it's silly of me; not everyone who speaks only German wants to take me away. But, everyone has their weaknesses, and this was mine.

"Birdie, what's wrong?"

I looked at Gil and realised I was shaking. I'd also grabbed his arm subconsciously, like I did to my father. Except this time, I wouldn't be offered up. I knew my eyes were wide with fear, but I couldn't seem to calm down. _This is so stupid, _I told myself. _Gil's here, the man isn't like that guy and he's in jail anyways. Calm down!_ My train of thought went on like that until the shaking stopped and I'd calmed myself down. Somehow, we were already amongst the rows of shoes. The Prussian looked at me with concern.

"Birdie, what happened back there?"

"U-um... c-can I tell you once we're done in h-here? It's pretty stupid..."

"Nein, it probably isn't. And even if it is, everyone has something they're scared of"

"W-what are you scared of?"

"Nothing"

"B-but... um, spiders?"

"SCHEISSE, WHERE?! UM! I mean... the awesome me is more awesome than spiders, so I must get Ludwig to kill them because Ludwig is slightly unawesome and spiders are unawesome"

I laughed a little at the reaction I got and smiled after. Gilbert grinned and disappeared for a couple minutes, then realised I hadn't told him my shoe size. He came back, asked me, left and returned once again with three boxes of shoes. I tried on every one, and I liked the black ones with a green and blue design on the sides. Gilbert nodded and frowned.

"W-what's wrong?"

"Are you going to be okay to go back to the front?"

"Oh... u-um, I-I think..."

I stood up and latched onto the albino's arm again. He patted me on the head and walked to the front, making sure I was on the outside. I heard apology in his voice as he payed for the shoes. I let go and walked out of the shop, feeling pretty dumb. And when I had feelings I needed to release, music was my outlet. I stood a little from the shop and opened the violin case. A few people took notice, and they stopped walking. I closed my eyes and started with my opening song, which was Party Rock anthem. I got through that then did a mashup of about five Lady Gaga songs, then Someone Like you and ended with Single Ladies. My violet eyes opened and I had an audience. Well, I guessed I had better introduce myself.

"H-hello everyone, I am Silent Music... does anyone have a request?"

A teenager with dyed red hair walked up to me and frowned.

"Um... could you play Through the Fire and the Flames? I know it's a metal song, but it would be really cool if you could... I can bring it up on YouTube if you want"

I nodded and the girl showed me the video. I was going to do part of the guitar solo, simplified of course. I nodded and the girl walked back to a mexican-looking teenager whose palm was on her face. After a deep breath, I played a little of the vocals, then kind of exploded into the solo. Cheers went up from the crowd, and I heard the chink of money being dropped on other money. I lost myself in the notes, and before I knew it I'd played the whole song... whoops. People clapped and I bowed. I bent down and put the violin down, and got some 'awws'.

"I'll be back tomorrow, don't worry!"

The crowd dispersed, leaving one albino who was smiling with pride. His smile was contagious, and I found my smile had grown. I counted the money in the case, and it was twenty dollars. I nodded and put it in my money pocket, which also had my health card, birth certificate and the picture of Maman. I guess it was my wallet pocket. The case went on my back and Gilbert handed me the box he was holding. I sat down and took off my shoes and put the new ones on. There was a garbage nearby, and that was where old footwear went. The Prussian and I started walking away from the store, toward a busy-looking place.

"So Mattie... we're outside"

"O-oui.. Oh, right.. u-um, I guess you want to know what happened, eh?"

"Ja, that would be awesome"

"W-well... when I was little -o-only seven or eight- a guy who spoke only German tried to take me away... my dad got there in time, b-but he picked me up and held me out to th-the man... the m-man walked away, and my dad told me he said I-I wasn't a challenge anymore... s-since then, I've had a fear of people who speak only German... it-it's stupid"

I frowned, but found myself in a hug. I hugged back and felt tears prick at my eyes.

"It's not stupid, Birdie... it's perfectly understandable. But me and bruder are okay, ja?"

"O-oui... you speak English and German, a-and apparently Italian... someday I'll get over this f-fear..."

"Take your time, Birdie. No one's gonna rush you"

I nodded and Gil pulled back. He sent a smile that had compassion behind it, and I smiled gently back. We started walking again, this time changing directions to go through an alley. I saw a ferris wheel in the distance and smiled excitedly. Gilbert nodded and smirked.

"I hope you like rollercoasters and general awesomeness, because we're going to the county fair!"

"YAY!"

Excitement was running through my veins. it's kind of sad, but I'd never been to a fair. Though if I had, I was sure something scarring would have happened to me. So I was pretty glad my first time was with Gil. We walked to the front entrance, and Gil got us twenty tickets each. We walked in, and honestly it was a little overwhelming. There were people all over the place! This time the albino grabbed my hand, probably not wanting to lose me in the sea of humans.

"What do you want to do first, Birdie? Or should the awesome me decide?"

"Y-you definitely decide..."

"Ride time! We'll go on the bumper cars, kesesesesese!"

We walked through the crowd and went to the bumper cars. There were a few teen snickering at us while we waited in line. I frowned, but Gil flipped them off. They were shocked when they got a look at the red eyes of mon ami... and said something along the lines of 'Definitely not a grandpa' in Italian. I chuckled a little. Once we were on the floor of the ride, the Prussian immediately went for the car that had black and white on it. I got one with purple and red, and all the other ones were filled pretty soon.

I waited for someone to ram me, then I went after them. Someone got me from behind, but they got bumped from the side by the guy who'd gone after me first. I saw the albino and drove over to him, tapped him gently, then drove away. We played a game of cat and mouse, and I was having fun. When the ride stopped, Gilbert saw a booth thing and made a beeline for it. I ran after him, scared to lose him.

One of the prizes was a yellow bird, and Gilbert was probably determined to get it. He tried to knock over the milk bottles, but couldn't. I frowned and asked the man for three balls, which he gave to me with a smirk. I whipped the rubber spheres at the three pyramids and knocked them down. I looked at the man running the booth and he was picking his jaw up from the floor. Literally. He'd dropped his dentures in shock, it seemed. I picked the yellow bird and gave it to Gil, whose eyes lit up. The bird flew out of it's small cage and landed on his head.

"This is awesome, Birdie! It's name shall be Gilbird Samwise Beilschmidt the First!"

"I-I'm glad you like it! What sh-should we do next?"

"PETTING ZOO!"

I laughed and followed the albino, who was practically glowing with pride. We walked to the petting zoo, where there were goats, horses, bunnies and cats... though I think the cats were only there to chase mice. Gil honestly looked like a kid when he picked up a rabbit and started cooing at it. I pet one of the horses while he was busy with the other animals. It was coal black, with soft brown eyes. One of the girls working there handed me a carrot, and the horse took it gently out of my hand.

We went on the ferris wheel, rollercoaster and a few more rides before it got dark. We returned to the house via a shortcut through an incredibly creepy park, and we got there to find a woman in the living room appologising for being so late.

"I'm so sorry, Mr Beilschmidt... there was a man playing the violin in front of the shoestore, and I just couldn't stop listening! He's going to be back tomorrow, you should go down to see him! His name is Silent Music, it's so mysterious! Then, I saw him at the fair and I tried to catch him, but he left. Anyways, do you still have puppies?"

I couldn't help but giggle, because she was obviously talking about me. She turned around and I found myself in a bear hug.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WAS PLAYINGGGG!"

"O-oui... um, you're k-kind of crushing me..."

"Oh, sorry... anyways, what are you doing here? A private concert?"

"O-oh non... I-I live here"

"Really?! I've been here for my neice and nephew's puppies, and I didn't see you here!"

"I-I just moved in yesterday"

"Oh... that would explain it. So are you really going to be back tomorrow?"

"Oui, hopefully... b-but, you should probably go look at th-the puppies now, oui? O-one of them is the right one"

I smiled and the lady followed Ludwig to the back room, where she squealed in excitement. Gilbert rolled his eyes and went upstairs, returning with Mister Polar-Puppy. The dog jumped into my arms and snuggled with me.

"Birdie, that dog may as well be yours.. you're the only one it likes"

"W-why?"

"We have no idea... anyways, you hungry? There's probably leftovers"

I nodded and set the dog-bear hybrid down. He followed us into the kitchen, where there was stew ready for us. It was still steaming, and it looked like there was dumplings in it. The Prussian got some for both of us and we sat down. When I couldn't eat anymore, I could feel that the warmth had traveled down my throat and into my chest, heating my cold body up. It probably would have been a good idea to get a coat before we left... oh well. I left some in the bowl and fed that to the puppy, who ate it up happily.

"Hm... y-you need a name, huh? Hm... Kuma... Kumajiro!"

"Interesting name, but I guess it suits him. You wanna play video games with me? We can play Mario Kart, though I have to warn you: I am the King of Awesomeness at that game!"

"W-well, I guess I'll give it a shot... you wanna come, Kumajappa?"

I got a bark in response and we all went downstairs. We found some of Gilbert's clothing on the bed, and my new clothes in the drawers someone (probably Ludwig) had emptied out. Gilbert just threw his clothes in a corner and sat down on the floor. He moved over and handed me one of the remote-looking controllers with a joystick-thing attached to it. Gilbert taught me the controls, and we played on a team. Once I figured out what I was doing, I did pretty well. I even beat Gil once! But next race, he kinda kicked my ass... oh well, it was just a game.

"So Gil... does that lady d-do that every time?"

"Ah, she tends to overreact when she gets excited about something... it's pretty annoying, huh? Oh, and any of your ribs broken?"

"N-non, she just surprised me... a-a lot... I'm not used to hugs from girls. It feels w-weird..."

"Kese, I know what you mean- agh, shit! DAMNIT, WARIO! GO BACK TO THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, YOU DEMENTED OOMPA LOOMPA!"

"VE, OOMPA LOOMPAS ARE EVIL!"

"FELI! They are not evil-"

"JA, THEY ARE! THEIR SONGS ARE JUST A FRONT, THEY'RE TRYING TO LURE YOU IN THEN KILL YOU!"

"VEE!? LUDWIG SAVE MEEEEE! I DON'T WANT TO BE KILLED BY A SHORT PERSON WHO CAN SING!"

"BRUDER! THAT IS NOT FUNNY!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S HILARIOUS! KESESESESE!"

"C-careful, Gil... he might come down here... a-and is it like this every night?"

"Pretty much, kesesese! Ah, I'm so awesome!"

"NEIN, YOU ARE NOT! AWESOME PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO KILL SPIDERS ON THEIR OWN!"

"HEY, THAT SPIDER WAS HUGE, OKAY?!"

"Ve, it was! It was the size of a dime!"

"SEE, FELI AGREES WITH ME!"

"I'm surrounded by idiots..."

"Ve, what's an idiot?"

"... Point proven"

Gil had to pause the game because I was laughing so hard. Tears were streaming down my face and the top half of me was twisted so my face was in the side of the bed. I flopped on my back clutching my sides because they hurt, but I was still laughing. I took a few deep breaths and sat up, wiping the salty water from my eyes. I was still chuckling, though.

"Can we start the game, or are you going to have another laugh attack, kesesese!"

"I-I don't know..."

"Oompa Loompas"

And there I went again with the laughter, though this time it wasn't as bad.

"Kesesese, I have found your weakness! Hey... are you ticklish?"

I stopped short and looked at him with a weird sort of scared smile. If he found out just how ticklish I was...

"AWESOME ATTACK!"

Gil's hands tickled me all over, and I rolled around on the floor, laughing and telling him to stop. Though, of course I didn't want him to. He pinned down my legs so I wouldn't kick him and continued his onslaught. What seemed like forever later, he finally stopped. My sides hurt and my hair was all messed up. Smirking, the Prussian got off of me. I just layed there, smiling hugely and breathing deeply.

"Kesesese! Found your other weakness!"

"O-oui... if I bruise, it's your fault"

"I'll take full, sole and awesome responsibility for that, kesese!"

"A-are you ticklish?"

"NEIN! Back awaaaay!"

Smirking, I sprang up and tickled him, avoiding the feet and the playfully swatting arms. His laugh filled the entire house, so even Ludwig was chuckling. But then there was the bang of someone on the floor, and the German made laughing noises like his brother... I guess they were both ticklish! Good to know.

It was twelve by the time we were sleepy enough for bed. I went into the bathroom and changed into jammies, not bothering with a shirt. I looked at my sides in the mirror, and they were slightly bruised, but my skin was like a peach's so that happened a lot. My violin case was on the desk in the basement, and Gil was already in bed. I set my glasses on the nightstand, where there was a new clock. I climbed in bed and Gil shut off the light. He snuggled close and wrapped an arm around my waist. Kuma jumped up on the bed and curled up into my chest. I pressed back into Gil a little, silently thanking him for today. As sleep slowly crept up on me, I felt him smile against my neck and whisper 'You're welcome'. For the first time, I drifted off with a smile.


	4. Part of the Family

It was a weird experience, the first part of the nightmare I was having.

I could feel my body in the real world. I was lying on my side, Gil's arm around me and his breathing against the back of my neck. But in the dream, I was staring at a masked figure who was kind of... uh, large... and in an off-white and green plaid shirt. I knew this to be my father in the dream, but in the real world I was questioning that theory. I was really the only one who ever wore plaid in my family. However, there's no arguing with a dream. As long as I could feel Gil's arm around me, I was okay.

"You disgrace. How _dare_ you ruin my family! Your mother would be very, very disappointed in you, you little rainbow-coloured shit!"

I winced in the dream and shrunk further into Gil's arm. My father took off the mask to reveal that he was a strange mix of Alfred (my brother) and dad. He had the girth of dad, but the face of Al. Everything else about the physical description of the hybrid is fuzzy, so I can't tell anything else about it. I could feel that my breathing was rapid, and that Gil had probably woken up. But with a tug from the thing in front of me, I was sucked completely into the nightmare. I tried to use my voice and get him... uh, it to back off, but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it was coming out in my real voice and probably scaring Gil. So, I changed what I was saying to make sure he wasn't scared.

I was pinned against the wall, and my screaming stopped. Instead, I whimpered, not sure what was going to happen next but afraid to find out. I was slapped, and the force of it knocked me onto the carpeted floor. I was picked up by my shirt... which had randomly appeared on my body... and was thrown against the wall again. Alfred's face got close to mine and I could smell the hamburger and alcohol on his breath.

"We're coming"

With that my eyes flew open and I sat straight up, gasping loudly.

"Birdie!"

I flopped back on the bed and sighed. Tears were pricking at my eyes and before I knew it they'd overflowed. I was gathered up in Gil's arms, and I cried into his shoulder. He just rubbed my back to try to get my to calm down. Eventually I took a few deep breaths and just sat there, my cheek against Gil's collarbone and his arms wrapped tightly around me. The albino was sitting up against the backboard and wall of the bed. Basically I was leaning against him. I raised my head and looked at his face, or what I could make out of it in the black.

"Gil... I-I'm sorry... did I w-wake you up?"

"You were screaming for whoever to let go, to not touch you and to go back to the ranch, and that the people weren't your real family... ja, I think you woke the whole neighborhood"

A red colour painted my face as I hid back in Gil's collarbone.

"M-maple..." I sighed. Last time I had a nightmare, I nearly got arrested because of the screaming. I felt the Prussian thread his hand through my hair, forcing me to look up at him.

"Birdie... it's okay. The awesome me can guess what the dream was about, and... well, you're pretty much a part of this family now, ja? We'll even get you an iron cross"

I could tell he was smiling even in the black. I wriggled out of his grip and sat on the edge of the bed. Sighing, I looked back at Gil.

"Th-there's no way I'm getting back to sleep"

"Ja, I know... wanna go meet the parent dogs? It's... six in the morning, Luddy won't mind"

I nodded and we got off the bed. Kuma followed us; apparently he'd been hiding out under the bed. The three of us walked silently upstairs. Gil walked ahead and opened the door to the puppy room, where he turned on a light. There were three dogs laying in the middle of the floor. I finally got a good look at the breeds besides Golden retriever. There was a Doberman and a German Shepherd, who'd woken up now.

"These are the dads! This is Aster, the Golden retriever, Blackie the German Shepherd and Berlitz, the Doberman. They should be friendly... are you going to be okay up here for a bit, Birdie? I gotta go downstairs and check if anything was knocked over or shit like that... you were thrashing pretty hard"

Gil left without waiting for an answer. I sat down on the floor in front of the three males, and looked at them. Blackie padded over to me and sniffed me. I guessed he was weary of strangers, which was understandable. He nudged me and dragged over a red, huge pillow. I guessed I was to lay my head on it... hopefully. I did that an the dog rested his head on my chest. Aster's head was on my stomache, and Berlitz had curled up between my knees. It was... actually pretty calming, and despite my previous prediction, I was soon lulled into a better, deeper sleep.

"Ve, Matte- awww! Luddy, Gilbo! I found Matteo, ve come look!"

There were footsteps coming into the room, and I was suddenly aware that there were eyes on me. I heard two people going 'awwwwww!'.

"Wait here, I gotta go get the camera! Make sure none of them move!"

Gil shot off through the house, returning with what was probably a camera. I opened one eye and smiled just as he took the picture. Once it appeared on the screen of the digital camera, his eyes widened.

"Holy sheisse... your eyes are really purple, Birdie!"

"R-really? And w-what's so adorable ab-bout this?"

I propped myself up on one elbow and looked around me at the dogs. Aster was still passed out on my stomache, Berlitz was laying across my legs now and I had my arm wrapped around Blackie, who was laying on his stomache with his head on the giant red pillow. I looked back at the three standing just in the doorway and smiled.

"I-I guess this is kind of cute..."

"Kind of? Birdie, this is awesome! I'm surprised Blackie let you use his pillow"

"A-actually, he dragged it over for me... w-where's Kuma?"

Ludwig looked surprised.

"He did? That's weird... he usually doesn't let anyone even touch his pillow"

"W-well, I did have a nightmare, w-which is why me and Gil came up h-here in the first place... maybe he could see I-I was still scared?"

"Maybe... what was the nightmare about, Matthew?"

"W-well... a... r-really weird mix of my dad-" Gil growled and his eyes tightened "A-and my brother, and they... it... u-um... pushed me against the wall and slapped me... th-then said 'we're coming'... i-it was nothing, really"

I knew I was lying, because somewhere in me I could feel that there was something important to this dream, but I really hoped it wasn't the thing's message. The three frowned, until Gil showed them the picture again.

"Matteo, can we frame it? We have a picture of everybody up on the wall, and we need you now!"

"O-oh... I guess- ah!"

I wa surprised by a tongue suddenly licking my face. I giggled and tried to get the mystery dog to stop, before someone said something in German and the dog immediately shrunk back. I turned (somehow without twisting my stomache or legs) and looked at Kuma, who was shrunk back against the couch. Ludwig sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I still don't know why he's so scared of German"

"W-well... maybe he had bad experiences with someone speaking G-German to him"

I knew Gil knew what he meant, as he gave me an understanding smile. Blackie was now awake. He nudged Aster, but the golden retriever wouldn't get up. Ludwig muttered something about the golden one being able to sleep through an earthquake and lifted him off of me. Berlitz jolted awake and jumped at Gil while Feli hid behind the albino. I gathered Kuma in my arms and set him on the pillow. I whispered to him in French and he cocked his head to the side. His tail was wagging furiously. Confused, I gave him a command in French and he obeyed.

"G-Gil, where did you guys get this puppy again?"

"We found him on the street... he was unawesomely freezing to death, so we took him in and he's been in the family since December"

"A-ah... I think he knows F-French"

I sat up and crossed my legs in front of me. Kuma sat down, his tail wagging and his expression expectant. I reached over and grabbed a tug-of-war rope. His tail was now fanning some newspaper behind him. I gave one end to the dog-bear mix and tugged the other with my hands. Kuma started tugging furiously, making little growling noises and wagging his tail.

"Birdie, put it between your teeth and play like that! Kuma loves it, and he knows not to tug too hard"

I shrugged and did as I was asked. I got on all fours and put the toy between my teeth. We both started tugging, gently at first. But I smirked and gave the rope a hard jerk, which sent it into an all-out war. I'm pretty sure we were both growling, and I'm also pretty sure Gil was filming. Feli and his husband had left the room with the other dogs, presumably to walk them or feed them. After a few more minutes I let go, sending Kuma tumbling backwards. He barked happily and attacked me with licks. Gil hit a button on the camera and smirked.

"And this is going in the home videos! Kesesesese! Birdie, you hungry? Bruder made waffles!"

"O-okay"

I got up and shook hands with Kuma, silently thanking him for a good fight. All three of us walked to the kitchen, where there was a can of beer and a glass of milk beside two plates of chocolate-chip waffles. Those were devoured and the drinks gone within five minutes. I looked up at Gil and smiled.

"S-so, what are we going to do today?"

"Actually, Feli and Luddy are waiting for us outside the shoe store... they wanted to hear your awesome violin skills!"

"Th-this kind of feels like a p-parent in the crowd of a school play..."

"You'll do fine, Mattie! It's not like you haven't played in front of a crowd before, ja?"

"Oui, b-but those people were strangers...a-and only you know my stage n-name"

"And that's a problem because? Don't worry! The awesome me will be there too, and we can bring Kuma!"

With a smile from the albino I nodded and he fistpumped the air. We walked downstairs and got dressed; me in my red hoodie with light blue jeans and Gil in a black long-sleeve with a white tee over it. I grabbed the violin case and took a deep breath.

We got a leash for the white dog and walked outside. He was so happy to see everything! When we got to the store, there were a few people walking around. I could see three familiar dogs and two familiar faces. I didn't want there to be, but there wa a pretty big smile on my face. I'd never gotten to experience this feeling because I never tried out for any school thing... I always though i'd be terrible at it. I walked a little away from my 'family' and set the case down. Someone shouted 'Silent Music's back!' and suddenly I had a crowd even before I'd started playing. I kissed the picture of Maman quickly before setting her photo in the wallet pocket. For my opening song, I chose to do Good Life by Onerepublic. Then I did A Thousand Years, She Will be Loved and Nothing Else Matters. Looking up, I saw I had... quite the crowd.

"Hello, everybody! I-I am Silent Music, does anyone have a request?"

"Do Fear of the Dark! I have it on YouTube!"

A brunette teen walked up to me and played the song for me. I was quite impressed by the way the band switched up the tempo. It would be fun to recreate that! I would play the guitar and the vocals on the violin (because I can't sing) and hope people liked that. I played it, covering any mistakes I made and the crowd started clapping along with the beat. I saw pale hands clapping first. I knew who started the clapping; there was only one person in that entire crowd not wearing some form of gloves or mittens. I played for... probably two hours. I got requested again to play Through the Fire and the Flames. I did it a little differently, following the other guitarist instead of the asian one. I ended with that song and took a bow. The people in the crowd cheered louder, and I swear there was half the town outside. A couple people were even in their pyjamas! I looked down and saw that... well, I definitely had more than twenty dollars... wow. Once the people went back to whatever they were doing before, I found myself in a hug.

"Matteo that was amazing! Where did y- right, ve! I remember!"

"That was... exceptional, Matthew"

"Told ya it'd be awesome! Kesesese, I think you played better today than yesterday, Birdie!"

I laughed and transferred all the money to the wallet pocket. My violin went in the main case and the whole thing went on my back. I looked up at the three and all of them were smiling. Ludwig stepped forward and told me to hold out my hands. He dropped something in them and I looked down, curious as to what it was. It looked like an iron cross on a chain. I looked up, not sure if it was really mine, But both the brothers and the Italian were wearing theirs, so I put mine on and fiddled with it a little.

"Birdie, this means you are officially part of the family! Bruder went out early this morning and got this made for you!"

"M-merci beaucoup... f-for everything, a-all of you have been just wonderful to me!"

Their smiles increased as we started to walk home.

"Oh, Matthew. Our cousin and his wife are coming over, and we are going out for dinner. They don't know about you yet, so be prepared to explain, and-"

"To be insulted because they're both douchebags"

"Gilbert!"

"But it's true, Luddy!"

"Feliciano, why do you always take his side?"

"Because I'm always right, kesesesese!"

Ludwig said nothing else. Gil probably thought he'd won, but I knew the German's look to be the 'I'll deal with you at home' look. I'd seen parents give their children that look many, many times. Though, I will admit I was kind of scared to meet these two, if they were as bad as I was told...

When we got in the door, the dogs were let off the leashes and went into the dog room. Kuma stayed with me though.

"Matteo, come upstairs! We have to get some fancy clothes for you, ve!"

"O-okay... how fancy are w-we talking here?"

"Just nice pants and a shirt, maybe a vest! ve, there's so many possibilities!"

...I shot Gil a glance that said 'help me!' as I was dragged up the stairs. Thirty minutes later, I came down with my hair combed, grey business pants and a blue shirt with a purple tie. Ludwig and Gil were dressed similarly, though the albino was wearing red and Ludwig was wearing black. We sat on the couch and I was instructed on how to act.

"Okay, the awesome me will tell you what to do! First: Introduce yourself when they ask, and not as your stage name. I don't think the unawesome losers would find that amusing. Second: You're pretty polite, so that isn't an issue. Just make sure you use your q's and p's, and if they ask you a question or twenty answer in the most polite way possible. Third: Elizaveta has a frying pan and she's not afraid to use it. Fourth: Watch Ludwig for what to do, not the awesome me-"

"Because he's going to screw something up and he knows it"

"HEY!"

"What? It happens every time, bruder"

No further argument could be made, because a car pulled into the driveway that looked pretty expensive. Gil rubbed the back of my hand to try and calm me down. There were three knocks on the door, and one thing ran in probably all our heads as Ludwig opened it.

_Well, here goes nothing..._


	5. Meet the Cousins

A man and a woman stepped through the door. They were very finely dressed, which made me feel... underdressed. Gilbert stood up and faked a smile as he greeted them. The two were apprehensive, and hadn't noticed me yet. Gilbert made a comment about the dress the lady was wearing and the man immediately got defensive.

"That is an Italian dress, you rude buggerface!"

"Kesese what's a buggerface? That sounds British, not Aristocratish"

"Hmpf. You wouldn't know an Aristocrat if you saw one"

"I do know an aristocrat, and I wish I didn't see him!"

There were more things said before I couldn't take it. I shouldered my way between them and held them apart.

"Y-you shouldn't fight, you're family! isn't family supposed to support each other?"

I could feel Gil going rigid, and I looked at him. He was glaring at the man across from him, but he was controlling himself. The brown haired man looked at me with confusion. He backed away and I stood up straight, anticipating the following question.

"Who are you?"

"I-I'm Matthew Williams"

"Hmpf. And what relation do you have with the family? Or did Feli give you his cross because he felt bad?"

"Non, this is m-my cross"

"What!? Ludwig, you didn't inform me that there was going to be another person coming! This means we're going to have to pay more at an already expensive restaurant, plus the money for gas! This is completely uncalled fo-"

"Oi, Rod. Shut the fuck up. Birdie's coming with whether you like it or not, and he's riding with me"

There was a heavy silence, with the two family members glaring at each other. The one named 'Rod' faltered a little, and the albino smirked. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me downstairs, saying we were going to get some stuff for the ride. He sat on the bed and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. I sat on the bed beside him. He looked at me and sent a smile that was a little forced.

"Danke, Birdie... I would have ripped him and his stupid demon-whore apart if you weren't there"

"W-why do you not like each other?"

"Because Elizaveta cheated on me with Roderich and Roderich is a prissy asshole who is scared of dirt. We have to disinfect this place five times before he steps in it at christmas"

I blinked in shock. The house was pretty big, so disinfecting it once would be a daunting task. but _five times?! _This was... weird. Gilbert got up and searched through his dresser- well, our dresser- and threw some clothes at me and got a small backpack. He put his DSi in there, along with two games, a blanket and a book. He set it on the bed and I put the clothes in it, hoping that's what he wanted. He looked at me kind of.. sheepishly.

"Birdie, it's a six hour drive... so, you're going to get tired and pass out on the way back, plus you probably need entertainment. So, here's your trip backpack"

"Oh... merci b-beaucoup, Gil"

He nodded, going back up the stairs with me in tow. I had the backpack slung on my shoulder, though I was careful not to mess up my outfit. I didn't want to make Feli upset. That just wouldn't be nice! The Prussian looked at Roderich and Elizaveta with a very forced smile.

"Let's go, ja? It's a long drive"

Everyone nodded and went out the door. Gil and I went to his black car, while everyone else piled into the newcomer's car. We backed out after the other members of the family, presumably because Gil didn't know where we were going. I reached into the backpack and pulled out the DSi. I also got out one of the games, which was Mario Kart. Eyes lighting up, I switched out the Pokémon game and put the racing game in. Gil had beaten every single level so I had tons to choose from. I chose to be Luigi and I did very well with him. Though after a while, I got kind of bored of that so I set the game down. I caught Gil sneaking a look at me and smiled.

"S-so, do you know where we're g-going?"

"Ja, to St. Jacobs. It's a Mennonite town, so it's pretty small. But oh mein gott the food is awesome! You are going to melt like a popsicle when you taste it, kesesese!"

"Hah, probably... j-just remind me not to eat too much, m-my stomache still needs time to get used to having l-large amounts of food in it"

"Ja... speaking of food, what did you live off of in those five years?"

"W-well, Faygo is pretty inexpensive so that's what I had to drink most of the time, unless there was a p-public water fountain. Then I filled th-the empty bottle with water and that lasted me a day or two. I-I ate mostly delhi meat and when I had e-enough money I got a bag of apples or carrots for myself. on days w-where I did really well I would also get some maple syrup"

"Why maple syrup?"

"B-because it's delicious and i-it was basically my candy, though my fingers w-would be really sticky"

"Ah... you know Birdie, it's a miracle you're alive"

"I-I know... trust me, I know"

I whispered that last part, though I'm certain Gil heard me. I propped my head up on my elbow and looked out the window at the blurry, white world. The snow had started to pick up. A wave of familiarity hit me and the feeling of lonely desperation returned, though it was only a memory of the past.

"I-it was like this when you found me"

"Huh... you're right, it was like this... though there was a lot less cars on the road"

"True... Gil, c-can I ask you something?"

"Of course, the awesome me is kinda bored anyways"

"W-why did you pick me up?"

Gil's face scrunched in as he formulated his answer. I waited patiently because I wanted the best answer he could give.

"Well... It's really not something I can explain, Birdie... I just felt... pulled to you, I guess... the awesome me doesn't know"

I nodded and sent him a small smile. I didn't know why I had to ask that, but... the wave of nostalgia that hit me forced it out of me. It was quite a while longer before we got there, and the time was about six thirty. The rest of the group were already out of their car and waiting for us. We got out, leaving our stuff in there. All of us walked in the restaurant and I was hit by the smell of... home cooking that was just amazing!

We got a table and ordered drinks. Gilbert said I could have alcohol if I wanted, so I ordered strawberry wine. Feli got red wine and everyone else got beer. The restaurant was buffet style so we just got plates and helped ourselves to whatever. I got just a little of everything. Gil had reminded me not to overstuff, thank goodness. We sat down with our plates and Elizaveta noticed I really hadn't taken much.

"Why don't you get more, Matthew?"

"I-I don't think that w-would be a good idea... my stomach's n-not used to full meals quite yet. B-but thanks anyways!"

"Why is your stomach not used to full meals?"

...I looked at Gil with wide eyes. He looked at his brother with a question in his, and Ludwig sighed.

"He didn't come from a very good place, so we have to be careful for now with what he eats"

"Where did he come from, the street?" Roderich said mockingly.

"O-oui, actually"

I saw Gilbert smirk and Ludwig smile when they saw the shocked expression of their cousin. A small smile fought it's way to my features as the albino quietly hi-fived me under the table. Though, suddenly I had a thousand questions hurled at me; so many that the blond man had to stop the two.

"Roderich, Elizaveta, if you want to ask him questions first make sure it's okay with him then go one at a time, one question per turn"

I nodded and looked at them while sipping my wine. Elizaveta was just a little faster than her husband, who had his mouth open and ready to ask a question.

"Why were you living on the street?"

"I-I got kicked out"

"What did you do? Drugs or alcohol, I'm guessing?"

"N-non... I never had enough money for either of those... I-I came out of the closet to my dad, a-and he... well, h-he didn't like that"

"How long ago was this?"

The questions went on like that for a while, before everyone was finally ready for desert. I walked over to the desert table and my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. There was a... a huge selection, and I didn't know how much I could afford to overstuff on sweets. So I just took a (big) slice of pumpkin pie nearly drowned in whipped cream and walked back. Everyone took a little longer choosing, because they were having more than one thing. Gil came back last, carrying three plates of the sugary goodness on that table. He smirked at me and set his plates down.

"We can share, Birdie! The awesome me got more than enough to spare!"

"I-I can see that... um, i-is there icecream?"

"Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mint chocolate chip, cookie dough, cherry, french vanilla, peanut butter cup or butterscotch ripple?"

I laughed and smiled as I chose.

"C-can I have a little of each?"

The albino nodded and smirked as he transferred some from all the flavours to my plate. I swear he had one plate filled entirely with whipped cream. We shared that plate and I was right... it was filled entirely with the white stuff. We stayed a little longer, and by the time we paid and had left it was already eight. We got into our cars and drove off.

"Birdie, I'm going to Timmies to get a coffee... I kinda need to stay up. You want anything?"

"N-non, I'm fine... I think I-I'll me okay for a couple days"

The Prussian chuckled a little, though his face was serious. Once we were in a drive-thru, he looked at my questioning eyes.

"W-what's wrong?"

"Did any of the questions bother you? I noticed you squirming a little there, Mattie"

"W-well... some of them d-did... the questions about my d-dad"

"I swear, if I ever meet that asshole he's going to die. I'll beat him to death with a straw"

"...I-interesting choice of weapon... y-you could just sick your dogs on h-him"

"Ja, but they're not att-well, I shouldn't say that. They're all damned awesome guard dogs, but I wouldn't waste them on that low-life"

"Y-you really hate him, don't you?"

"Ja, he's the cause of all the shit in your life and-"

"If he h-hadn't kicked me out I wouldn't have met y-you"

Gil's face froze for a second, before it went into a relaxed smile. He nodded and drove up to the window, where he got his extra-large coffee.

The rest of the ride was spent in almost silence, as I was drifting in and out of sleep and Gil was trying to focus on staying awake and following the white car in front of us. Eventually I just took off the dress shirt and tie, put on a tee shirt that the albino had gotten me to pack and got out the blanket. I spread it on myself and got comfortable.

"Going to sleep?"

"O-oui... wake m-me up when we g-get there"

"Ja, goodnight Birdie"

"'Night"

I was out before I finished saying that word. I was pretty tired. After all, I had been subjected to a lot of mental stress today, and dinner was... pretty awkward. I was having a dream about icecream (thanks, Gil) when I was woken up by a gentle shake of my shoulder. I looked at the albino, who looked pretty tired himself. Still half asleep and wanting to return to dreamland, I got out of the car and wrapped the blanket around myself. Gil grabbed the backpack and we went inside. Ludwig pulled us aside and frowned.

"These two don't want to go home at dark, so they're staying here... and they refuse to sleep on the couch- uh, Matthew?"

I was already walking to the vacant couch. I flopped down and wrapped myself in the blanket. I closed my eyes and just listened to the conversation.

"...Well, I guess you're sleeping up here then too?"

"Ja. Where's Kuma? Mattie's probably been missing the little guy"

"He's in with the dogs. Speaking of which, Blackie will stay out here tonight along with Kuma, just in case"

"I guess I'll just change in the kitchen then... Birdie, if you're awake come to the kitchen too, we can get you in pj pants if ya want"

My response was to roll off the couch and attempt to crawl to the kitchen. But I tripped on the blanket, so Gil just pulled me the rest of the way. Using the counter for support, I managed to stand up and open my eyes a little. I was thrown some pants, and I blinked a few times to get awake enough to not just strip completely in front of the albino.

"Mein gott Birdie, you're so tired"

"Y-you don't say"

"Kesese, and sassy! I'll go pull out the couch, don't fall asleep just yet!"

I nodded and Gil walked out of the kitchen. Not thinking properly, my brain decided to say 'fuck it, you're going commando'. I put on the pj pants and took off the shirt. I walked back in and Gil was just pulling up red pajama pants and there was a bed extension on the couch. I walked over to it and flopped down, fully expecting the springs that jabbed my ribs. Gil brought the blanket from the kitchen and layed down beside me, putting the blanket over us both. He pulled me into his arms, quickly falling asleep. I smiled and snuggled closer before doing the same.


	6. These People are Intense about Twister

(AN: There is a sort of spoiler for the end of Silent Hill the first game, so just skip that part if you don't want to know. And, I appologise if this chapter kind of sucks... writing with a broken heart is kinda hard...)

A loud bang woke me up from dreamland. I jumped a little, though I was kept from jumping off the couch-bed. Strong arms were still wrapped around me from last night. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times before the scarlet eyes and smirking face came in to focus.

"Morning Birdie! Sorry about that, bruder just had to get them out of here"

"P-pourquoi?"

"Because they were being unawesome. Anyways, we all kinda agreed it's your turn to make breakfast..."

"Th-that's fine, I guess... d-do you have maple syrup a-and chocolate chips?"

"Ja... why?"

"Y-you'll see"

Smirking, I slipped out from the albino's grasp and grabbed my glasses from the arm of the couch. I walked into the kitchen (with Kuma at my heels) and got a frying pan and the ingredients necessary for making pancakes. They were kind of my specialty meal, a lot like Gil and his wurst and potatoes. I was glad this was the one thing I hadn't tried to block out of my memory from home, because people really enjoyed it when I made pancakes! Soon, the smell of them wafted through the house and I had three people sitting at the table, looking like dogs begging for a few scraps. I chuckled and transferred them all to a plate, then got plates down from the cupboard for each of us. I had made... admittedly more than was probably necessary. I took mine first and drowned them in maple syrup. Apparently I had set the example for everyone because everyone did the exact same. Gil took a bite first and his eyelids fluttered.

"Birdie. There is something important the awesome me has to say. THESE ARE FUCKING AWESOME!"

He then proceeded to shove the rest of the large pancake in his mouth and smirked. Though, they were still hot... I don't know how he didn't burn his tongue. Soon all the pancakes were done, along with four glasses of chocolate milk. Feli came over and hugged me.

"That was yummy like pasta in the morning, but it wasn't pasta even though it was delicious!"

"Hah, m-merci beaucoup Feli"

"Ve, you're welcome! We're not doing anything today- well, Luddy has paperwork. But after that we're not doing anything! Are you going to downtown to play, ve?"

"N-non, I'm taking a break today. A-after all, I'm still kind of in my schedule f-for playing in towns"

"Ooooh... okay! We can see if you're good at any board games later, because Saturday is game night!"

"Saturday... hm. Usually I t-tried to take a rest today anyways"

We washed our plates and Gil put the couch back together. We walked downstairs and Gil looked at me with a smirk. He was smirking a lot today...

"Birdie, you try to play Ju-On... if it get's to scary-"

"I-I'm not afraid of it"

"We'll just see about that, kesesese!"

I cracked my knuckles and hit the button that meant play the game. The Prussian turned out the lights and I'm fairly certain he grabbed a pillow. True to my words, I didn't get scared at all. I died a few times, but that was just because I was showing off a little. Not much of course! That would be mean. Especially since this game freaked Gil out. When I finished the game I looked back at Gil.

"G-got anything else that you think w-will freak me out?"

"...Birdie, exactly how did that not freak you out?"

"Did you forget I l-lived on the street f-for five years? I've seen things i-in real life that... v-video games just don't compare to it"

"Right... I guess I should have expected that... but can you at least look like you enjoy the game? You were stone faced the entire time" He teased. He put in a different game, called Silent Hill. My eyes lit up; I'd been wanting to play this game! I even saw the movie when it came out in 2006.

This time I enjoyed playing and doing a running commentary... analysis thing. I set it on normal, because I figured I could handle it. Gil took over when my hands got tired of being in basically the same position for an hour. He fought the cop chick who wa really messed up, then handed the controller back to me. The boss fight was coming up soon, so the albino wanted to see how I did in it. I fought a thing that had a goat head and it's spine was showing, like it wasn't completely formed. I won, and my character was handed a baby before we got out of there. I smiled as the credits rolled and set the controller down.

"Th-that was fun... y-you want to play now?"

"Nein, it's fun watching you play! I've got other Silent Hill games, if you want"

I nodded and we played Silent Hill until we were called up for lunch, which was basically meatball subs. This time I chanced eating a little more, and to my surprise it didn't make me feel overstuffed. I smiled; hopefully soon I would be able to eat full meals again and get my inner schedule back on time.

"Hey Birdie, you wanna come with us and take the dogs for a walk?"

I nodded and we all went to our rooms to get dressed. I searched through my drawers and found a plain long sleeve and a tee to put over it. I walked to the bathroom and got dressed, because I was... uh, in my birthday suit without the pj pants... stupid half-asleep brain. I got out a little late because I put my pants on backwards by mistake. Everyone was already ready when I got upstairs. The dogs had leashes on. I was handed some small black bags and Kuma's leash. We walked outside and the snow was falling pretty hard, in big flakes. I caught one on my tongue and I had a flashback memory of doing that as a kid.

"Matteo?"

"Hm? O-oh, oui I'm coming!"

Gil looked at me with a smile.

"So, we're going pretty much everywhere today... we gotta show you other places around the town, kesesese!"

I smiled and walked beside Gil. I... kind of felt intimidated by going out and seeing the entire town, even if it was small and maybe 500 people lived it it. Maybe. Since I felt like I needed protection, who better to give it then Gil? I know his brother was taller and more muscular, but... that feeling I'd been suppressing two days ago said that... just maybe, if it came to it, Gil would fight just a little harder than his brother.

"So Birdie, where do you want to go first?"

"Bruder, do you really think he would know that? He just knows the shoe store and our house"

"And the place where they held the county fair! That's where I got Gilbird!"

A cheep from atop the albino's head alerted me to the fact that the yellow puffball was there. I stood on my tippy-toes to try and pet him, but I couldn't reach. Curse Gil for being to tall! The yellow bird flew down to land in my finger; I think he saw I was having issues. I stroked his feathers and he flew on my head. I felt him mess my hair up a little, but he didn't scratch me. Thank goodness for thick hair.

We walked to the park that I found incredibly creepy in the dark and let the dogs go. Apparently it was a dog park. The older dogs played there while I trained Kuma. I managed to teach him how to sit, and he discovered playing with sticks. We played fetch in between me trying to train him, and he actually did well. We walked around the town more after that, and I saw some stores I'd like to check out. It was dark by the time we got home, so it was roughly five in the afternoon. The dogs were let off their leashes and the three older ones lined up for their treats. Kuma just chased his tail so fast he was a blur.

"Birdie, you wanna give Kuma his treat?"

"K-kuma... treat time"

The dog-bear stopped and looked at me as if to say 'Really? Y-you're actually giving me a treat?'. I nodded and held it to his lips. He was hesitant, but after a smile from me he took it out of my hand and layed down on the floor, chomping away.

"Hm... who's turn is it to cook, bruder?"

"Ah, I believe it is yours"

"Wurst and potatoes it is!"

"Is that the only thing you know how to make Gilbo?"

"...Wurst, potatoes and chocolate chip cookies it is!"

"Ve ve ve ve ve ve yay! Gilbo's cookies are the best!"

Feli bounded up and gave Gil a hug. He smirked, but didn't really hug back... weird. Ludwig noticed also, and gave his brother a look. Another look was sent back and the German looked like he understood. I raised an eyebrow at them but neither of them explained anything. Feli let go and raced upstairs to get something. Kuma also raced off for something, and it turned out to be the tug of war rope. I smirked and held it between my teeth. Kuma did the same and with a nod from both of us we started tugging. This tie Kuma was the one to give it a hard jerk, which almost ripped it out of my teeth. We were both growling again, and there was determination in Kuma's eyes. He didn't want to lose to me! The war went on until Gil yelled that supper was ready. Feli attempted to come down the stairs, but tripped and was sent flying down them, along with what appeared to be a game. Ludwig managed to catch both the game and Feli.

Everyone sat at the table, waiting for the delisciousness to be served. Gil smirked and gave us all some, then grabbed two beers and two bottles of wine from the fridge. I looked and one was strawberry wine...

"We got this as a Christmas present, but Feli doesn't like strawberries so we were kinda hoping we could give it away... so the bottle's yours, Birdie!"

He poured me a glass and set it in front of me, then gave everyone else their drinks. We ate and filled our stomaches with the amazing food. I could smell cookies baking and... they smelled so good, I think my mouth was watering a little. the plates were taken away and everyone (including Feli... which was scary) smirked at each other.

"It's Twister night... Everyone in the living room. We must decide who's going to be the spinner first"

...It was just choosing the spinner person, but it felt so intense! It was like we were going to war or something. We walked into the living room and I got an explanation of how it would be decided.

"Okay birdie, since the awesome me cooked tonight I get to decide! Whoever can put their shirt on like pants and their pants on like a shirt doesn't have to be the spinner person until last round. Go!"

...It was an odd way of deciding (especially since the curtains were open) but everyone did it. I tripped and landed on top of Gilbert, who'd tripped five seconds ago and landed on his butt. I... think his face got red, but it was probably just from the effort of this strange task.

"Ve, I did it!"

"...Nein, you put your shirt and pants on the right way, just backwards"

"Oh... nevermind!"

I got off Gil and continued wrestling with my pants and shirt. Eventually, Feli Actually won! MY head was in the pantleg of y jeans, so some how I was second was third so Gil had to spin the spinner first.

Now, what everyone didn't know is that I was extremely flexible. This would be an advantage in the game! Somehow, I ended up with half of my body over Ludwig's and the other half underneath Feli... and I wasn't the ont to collapse either.

We played for probably five hours, with little breaks in between. So, it was eleven when we were finally tired enough to go to sleep. The albino got his cookies out from the oven and I swear I went to heaven for about a minute. As you can imagine, it took no time before the four of us had eaten all the cookies. We all said goodnight and went to our rooms.

"Gil, I-I'm going to have a shower... I'm kinda sweaty"

"Don't use all the hot water, the awesome me needs to shower too!"

I nodded and grabbed some pj pants from my drawers. I had a quick shower and towel dried, not caring how my hair looked after that. It probably looked like I'd just been shocked. Gil chuckled and went in the shower after me. I layed down on the bed and Kuma jumped up with me. He layed down on my chest, so I couldn't move. That was fine. I'd learned to sleep in every position imaginable, because sometimes I had to sleep in really awkward positions that made something hurt in the morning. Apparently I was dozing off because I jumped when I felt arms around me.

"O-oh... sorry for jumping G-Gil, I didn't hear you coming"

"That's fine. The awesome me has a question"

"O-oui?"

"Do you mind when I hold you when we sleep?"

"N-non... it's warm and pretty c-comforting, so I don't mind... why?"

"Just something that popped into my awesome head while in the shower, kese! Night birdie"

"Bon nuit"

I felt Gil's arms wrap just a little tighter around me that night, and I smiled. Though... it made that emotion I'd been ignoring flare up... hm. I wonder what that feeling was?


	7. A Possible New Stage

When I finally woke up, I was surprised to find Gil's arms not around me. I sat up and tried to locate him in the black of the basement but he was nowhere to be worried me a little. Usually I'd find his ruby eyes staring back at me, but apparently not this morning. Footsteps came down the stairs, but they weren't human. Kuma and another dog came down the stairs. The bigger one jumped up and flicked on the light. It turned out to be Blackie. I reached out and ruffled the German Shepherd's fur.

"H-hey Blackie... where's Gil?"

In responce the big dog took hold of my pant leg and dragged me out of bed. I landed on my butt with a thud.

"B-blackie! Uh, n-nein?"

The dog immediately let go and his head drooped. I got on my knees and patted it on the head silently telling him he was forgiven. He nudged my hand and started walking upstairs. Blackie looked behind him and I guessed I was to follow. We walked up the stairs quietly, and before I knew it I could hear the sounds of a guitar. I was pretty confused. No one had told me that they'd played an instrument! Now I was completely silent as I crawled the rest of the way up and to the living room. Gil was strumming a guitar and singing something. It was in German, so of course I didn't recognise it. But it sounded really pretty!

"Hey Birdie! Did my awesome playing lure you up here?"

"U-um... I guess you could say that... w-what song are you playing?"

"One I wrote when I was... ah, let's just say my life hasn't exactly been rainbows and unicorns either"

"W-what's happened to y-you?"

"I'll tell when you've been here longer. Anyways, go get your violin.. the awesome me wants to play with you! You know Time of Your Life by Green Day?"

"O-oui... that's the song we're going to play?"

"Ja! Make sure you play it really loud though, kesese!"

I somehow didn't think the albino's intentions were good, but I went and got my violin anyways. I came back up and Gil started playing the song. I waited at the stairs until the singing part, then I walked in playing that. it was a few minutes later that we heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Feli was about to say something, but Ludwig put his hand over is husband's mouth. I smiled and continued playing, covering the parts Gil couldn't when there wasn't supposed to be any vocals. When we finished we bowed.

"Ve, Matteo, Gilbo! That was really good!"

"Ja, I'd have to agree with you, Feli... you should play in front of the shoe store together"

I looked at Gil and his face was twisted into a pleased smirk.

"Ja, sounds awesome! But first... what songs are we going to do?"

"Uh... w-what songs do you know?"

"Hm... the awesome us could do the Bohemian Rhapsody?"

I nodded and we started playing. It sounded pretty good! Feli was actually singing with us... he could hit some really high notes. Once we were done, Gil set his guitar down and the other two went to get breakfast. I sat on the couch beside the albino as he played with Gilbird... who'd randomly popped out of nowhere.

To be honest, I was... kind of nervous about playing in public with another person. It was one thing to do that at home, where the family knew my story and knew I was probably a little uncomfortable. But the thing that worried me most was... what if it turned out like last time? What if we played together all the time and I developed a crush on Gil and he did the same thing as Steven? I just wouldn't be able to bear having to leave this place... I wouldn't be able to provide enough for Kuma to stay alive, so he'd have to stay here...

"Birdie!"

I jumped a little as I heard my name called.

"You okay? I've been calling your name for three minutes straight!"

"I-I'm sorry, I was just... a little lost in thought"

"Ja, I could tell... what were you thinking about?"

"N-nothing"

Gil was giving me the 'Really?' look. He knew something was wrong, which... made me blush. J-just a little.

"Say it, Birdie"

"W-well... you know what happened last time I p-played with another person..."

"Ja, but you liked him in more than a friend kinda way and he was obviously a huge unawesome asshole. You don't like me in that way, do you?"

"N-no! Just f-friends"

I said it, but something in me said I was wrong. It was that emotion flaring up again, that one I still didn't have a name for... hm. It was kind of frustrating, but oh well. I'd figure it out sometime, if it was really that important. I couldn't think any more on it because Feli walked in with a tray of frosted cinnamon buns.

"Ve, eat up! They're fresh from the oven!"

Gil's scarlet eyes lit up as he grabbed six. He gave two to me and shoved the remaining four in his mouth. While they were still hot.

"HOTH HOTH HOTH!"

I laughed at Gil and slowly ate mine as he opened his mouth to let his half-chewed breakfast cool down. Ludwig just rolled his eyes and he and Feli ate the remaining buns on the tray. After everyone was done (and Gil had successfully burned his tongue) we all got dressed. Gil and I sat on the bed to figure out what songs to play.

"So... what songs should we do?"

"Hm... w-well, my opening songs are Party Rock Anthem and Good Life, or I'm Yours if I stay in a place more than three days"

"Then we'll do I'm Yours... it's the one that goes like dodadeeda da dadededa right?"

"O-oui... then we can play the Green Day song a-and then the Bohemian Rhapsody, then we take requests... i-if you're okay with that, of course"

Gil smiled and nodded. We grabbed our instruments and practiced. Gil stopped short when he realised something.

"Birdie, I need a stage name too!"

"Oh, um... h-how about it just be Prussia, since n-not a lot of people have heard of it?"

"That really sucks... Prussia was an awesome nation! It kicked ass! So Birdie.. you still sure you want to do this?"

I nodded and we got up. We walked back upstairs with our instruments in hand. Ludwig and Feli were already waiting by the door for us, so we got on our shoes and left. I took a deep breath and walked confidently. People payed more attention when I was walking up like that. When we got there we had a crowd... wow. Gil and I set our cases down, then started playing the first song. When we were done that we lowered our instruments and I smiled.

"Hello everybody! I'm Silent Music, a-and this time I have my friend Prussia with me"

There were a lot of cheers in the crowd as we started to play our next songs. People were singing along to the Bohemian Rhapsody, which made me smile. I swear I heard Feli sing again, because he's the only one who can hit those high notes. Unless someone hit Ludwig in the balls... ugh. Bad mental images. When we were done that and the Green Day song, we took requests.

We did that for pretty much the rest of the day. It was a lot of fun playing when it wasn't something I had to live off of! It was pretty tiring playing for about four hours, but the crowd's energy kept us alive. Every so often, I would catch Gil shoot me smiles, and I would smile back with a tiny blush. Something in my stomache did flips when he did that though. When we were finally done and had taken our bows, the redhead from my first time playing walked up and smiled.

"You know, you should make a Youtube channel... you'd probably get famous really fast!"

She gave five dollars and walked away. I felt Gil wrap his arms around me and nuzzle my neck. A blush crept across my face as I felt him smile against me neck. In a way that was kind of smirking.

"You looked cold, Birdie"

"O-oh.. actually, I'm pretty warm... th-though it may have something to do with a certain albino hugging me"

"Kesesese, it might... let's go home, we can make candy cane hot chocolate!"

"I-isn't that usually a Christmas thing?"

"Ja, but who cares? It's the awesome me's favourite!"

Ludwig gave us the same weird look as last night when Gil wouldn't hug Feli back. I didn't see the returning look, but Ludwig rolled his eyes.

"Ja. And, since I don't feel like cooking we're going to Wendy's. So everyone pick a car and get in it"

Gil let go and we walked back. We put our instruments in the house, fed the dogs then we all just piled into Ludwig's Volkswagen. It was surprisingly roomy in there, even with four people; two of which were rather muscular. Feli kept kicking my seat though... which was kind of annoying, but it was bearable. When we got there some people ran up.

"Silent Music, you did amazing today! Are you going to make the Youtube channel?"

"Ja, he is, sometime this week"

"Yay!"

When they left I looked at Gil with a little fear. I didn't know how to edit a video or even how Youtube had changed since I last used it! I was ignored however, and we just walked in the restaurant. I got chicken nuggets and fries along with a milkshake. The brothers got Baconators and Feli got a salad.

"Birdie, I can do all the editing and sheisse like that. You just gotta play your violin! It'll be easy Birdie, trust the awesome me"

"O-okay... I trust you"

Gil's face got a bit red this time. He smiled and crossed his eyes as he bit down on his burger, almost making me choke from laughing at him He grinned and ate the rest of his food like that, even when it was just a fry.

We got back when it was about eight. Gil and I were tired, so we decided to just go downstairs and play Mario Kart for a few hours. This time I did much better, and we won equal amounts of races!

"So Gil... y-you really think this Youtube thing will work?"

Gil pause the game and smiled at me, his face relaxed and his eyes a swirling, mars-red colour.

"Mattie I know how to work all the technical shit, and you already said you'd trust me. What more is there to worry about?"

I thought it over.

"W-well... nothing, I guess"

"Exactly. Now we should probably get ready for bed, the awesome me is gonna be sore tomorrow"

I smiled and shut off the game, then just stripped down to my boxers and climbed under the covers. I figured Gil wouldn't mind. I was right, of course. He wrapped his arms around me and smiled.

"Night Birdie.. we'll get everything set up tomorrow"

"O-okay... 'night"

Dreams of what the videos would look like danced through my head as I drifted off to sleep.

((AN: Oh my goodness this was supposed to be out Thursday... *sigh* Sorry guys... but honestly, this week has been total shit. So I apologise if this chapter isn't the greatest, but... I tried))


	8. Cuddling and Rooftop Singing

"Nevermind I'll find, someone like you. I wish nothing but the best for you to. Don't forget me, I'll say I remember you said sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead"

Yes, that was me singing. Normally I didn't do that because I'm not the world's greatest singer, but I was on the roof so I figured it wouldn't matter much. Oh, I guess I should explain what I was doing on the roof, huh? Well... after Gil wrapped his arms around me and we were asleep for a little, I had to go to the bathroom. I decided to take a shower too, just so I wouldn't smell. It hit me in the shower: I...

I loved Gil.

I had been pacing upstairs before Feli showed me how to get on the thing too, because I needed a little alone time. I was... pretty worried. Last time I fell in love, it ended not so well. I'd never dated so even if Gil liked me back, I'd probably be a horrible lover. He'd break up with me in a few days. Then there was the issue of his sexuality. All I knew was that he'd dated a girl. And his brother was gay.

"I hate to turn up out of the blue and uninvited, but I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it. I'd hope you'd see my face, and that you'd be reminded that for me; it isn't over"

Usually when I had these worries, I'd play violin... it was really my outlet for everything. But I didn't bring it with me, for fear that I'd drop it off the roof or Gil would think I left. So, my only option was to sing. I could belt it out because it was early in the morning. No one (realistically) should be up. The snowstorm helped muffle my voice also. I lost myself in the words; when I opened my eyes again I was face to face with a gorgeous sunrise. I watched the glowing orb slowly climb over the horizon and saw the reds and pinks splattered like paint across the rooftops. The sky had cleared by now, so I got a front row seat for this event. I smiled when it finally lifted to the sky. I hadn't realised I was still singing. I'd subconsciously switched songs to one of the ones from Titanic... I can't remember which one. The one by Whitney Houston, I think.

"Well... I-I guess I should be going back..."

"Ve, si! Gilbo is looking for you!"

I jumped a little, but gripped the edge of the roof so I wouldn't fall off. Feli held the window open while I climbed through. I shook the snow off of me and Ludwig handed me a towel to clean the quickly-melting white stuff with. I got that all cleaned up and gave the towel back to Ludwig, who was rubbing his eyes. I hoped I didn't keep them up... I walked downstairs and immediately found myself tackled to the couch.

"Birdie! Where the unawesome fuck were you?! The awesome me was worried!"

"W-why were you worried? I left my violin here s-so you wouldn't do that..."

"W-well, the awesome me was worried because... i-it just doesn't feel right in the house without you anymore, okay?!"

I blushed against Gil's neck and he shifted our position on the couch so I was on his lap. He held me close and I will admit it felt pretty good... but just little weird, because of his mystery sexuality. I wrapped my arms around him and snuggled into his chest. Worried that I was pushing it too far, I lifted my head. But Gil pushed it back down.

"I like having you as a teddy bear so don't move. Besides, you're freezing. You need to be warmed up, ja?"

I just nodded and layed my head over his heart. It was going pretty fast, so I guess he was really worried.

"Feli's gonna get us a blanket. And he said something about you being a really good singer...?"

A blush crept across my face as I hid in his neck. I felt the albino chuckle and shift our position so I had to look at him and his smirk.

"Don't try to hide from the awesome me... were you up there just to sing?"

"N-non... I-I went up th-there to think"

"About what?"

Oh maple.

"...Th-things... like my time on the street, a-and my life here"

Gil nodded and pressed his cheek to my hair. But... cuddling with him... probably wouldn't feel right until I knew if he was actually gay.

"H-hey, um... can I a-ask you a question?"

"Ja, of course"

"W-what's your s-s-sexuality?"

Gil chuckled and held me closer.

"Well... I don't know, to be honest... all I do know is this feels awesome"

...You can imagine how red my face was by then. I felt Gil nuzzle my hair and I smiled. Now I was sure... well, that he didn't mind cuddling with me. I guess that was a start. We had a little more cuddle time before life decided to interrupt us. Kuma, Ludwig and Feli all decided to talk to us at once. Lunch was ready, we needed to feed and walk the dogs (including Kuma) and we still had to set up the Youtube account. Gil and I went downstairs and got dressed. This time I just put on track pants and a sweater, not bothering with a shirt. It really wasn't that cold out anyways. We ate first and fed the dogs, then took the older ones and Kuma out for a walk. When we were out of the door I looked up and chuckled. There was a me-sized impression in the snow on the roof.

"...Birdie, were you up there?"

"O-oui... it's pretty calming early i-in the morning"

"How early were you up there?"

"Um... I-I got to watch the full sunrise"

"Uh... you were up there pretty early then... oh, Kuma's shitting"

I picked up the waste with a doggy bag and threw the stinking thing into a nearby garbage. But if I thought Kuma was bad... Berlitz nearly knocked Gil out.

"Holy sheisse... I think I need a shower when we get back..."

"Shall w-we put Berlitz in with you?"

"Are you trying to kill me?! I think we need to take a hose to this dog's ass before he goes in the house... what the hell has bruder been feeding him!?"

"...Dog f-food"

"Well, danke Captain Obvious"

"You're welcome, Sir S-Sarcastic"

We continued teasing each other like that for a while, before we got to a part of town I didn't recognise. The buildings looked run down.

"Uh, G-Gil?"

"Just stay by me and if someone tries to attack let Blackie go"

"G-got it"

GILLLLL! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO FREAK ME OUT LIKE THATTT!? I was seriously scared, though I did my best to hide it. I covered it with fake confidence and walked with my chin up and my body alert to the German Shepherd on the leash I was holding. I snuck a look at Gil and that look relieved me, for some reason. His usual smirk was replaced by a glare to anyone or anything that so much as looked at us. We made it out of that alleyway and walked along a street with abandoned houses. A few of them looked like one I'd slept in once... the mice pretty much left me alone. We got to a park and I breathed a sigh of relief. The shoe store was visible from here, so I guessed we were safe.

"Hey! You two!"

...Nevermind. Kuma surprised me by growling before Blackie, though the German Shepherd wasn't far behind. Gil poked my side and I looked at him with a slight bit of fear.

"Birdie. Just don't say anything and if he pulls anything on me or you, you know what to do"

I nodded and the guy came over to us. Gil growled at him in German, which took the guy by surprise. There was yelling and I'm pretty sure something was said about or to me, because Gil's voice got really defensive and the guy backed off. There were parting comments, though at something the albino yelled with a... pretty aggressive voice the guy took off running. By the way, I should mention that this guy was at least three times bigger than Gil. We finally walked out of the park and I crouched down to pet the dogs.

"M-merci, Gil..."

"For?"

"P-protecting us... I don't think it w-would have ended well with that guy if it were just me a-and Kuma"

"Oh, ja... you're welcome"

We were smiling the rest of the way home. Feli opened the door for us and we let the dogs off the leashes. They lined up for treats and Ludwig administered them.

"Oh, Luddy! Did we change the dog food for Berlitz?"

"Ja, why?"

"He almost knocked me out. Bruder, his shit smelled worse than your week-old smelly sweat socks"

"...You are still breathing how?"

"I'm awesome, that's how! Kesesese! Anyways, come on Birdie! Let's go make that account!"

I followed Gil downstairs and sat on the bed while he worked his magic on the computer. He put on a song and my musical brain immediately kicked in. I listened to the way the guitar was at the beginning, and how the lyrics went, trying to commit them to memory. That was usually how I learned how to play a song. As long as the lyrics were in my head, I could do it. As soon as the song was done Gil played it again. I picked up my violin and started to play along, earning myself an amused chuckle from the albino on the chair.

"That sounds pretty good Birdie... you got an email address?"

"O-oui"

"Then I need it"

"Oh... i-it's mapleman32m "

"Kesesese that's an awesome email address! Okay, and what's your password?"

I walked over and typed in the password. A few minutes later there was an email from Youtube saying I had to activate my account. Gil did the rest of the stuff and uploaded the picture of me with the dogs as the profile picture. He sat back in the chair and grinned.

"Alright, it's done! You are officially on Youtube!"

I hugged Gil from behind and I'm certain he started blushing. Though, I was only going by the heat I felt on my arms, which meant the blush had travelled down to his neck. I rested my head on top of his and smiled.

"M-merci beaucoup, Gil... sh-should we go upstairs? I think I smell g-garlic..."

"Hm... Actually, I have a more awesome idea. How about we watch a movie?"

I chuckled and unwrapped my arms, sitting on the bed so he could clearly see my decision. The Prussian smirked and went to the glass-doored cupboard that had the video games and pulled out a movie.

"You can handle scary games, but what about scary movies? Kesesese!"

"B-bring it on"

Gil smirked again and turned out the lights. I layed down on my stomach and crossed my ankles in the air. There was pressure on the bed and suddenly there was an arm around me and an albino beside me. My head rested on my crossed arms as I watched the movie and slowly felt my eyelids droop. I think a little girl was talking to the TV... that was the last thing I saw. I woke up a little while later to find that I was in my boxers with the arm still around me. I shrugged and chuckled. I guess I beat Gil's challenge... but is falling asleep cheating? Hm...

Next time I woke up was to even breathing... kind of beside and under me. I lifted my head to see the smiling, half-asleep face of Gil. He hugged me close to his side and smirked.

"Well, I didn't expect you to fall asleep"

"S-sorry... but that movie didn't scare me at all... n-nice try though"

"Birdieee! That was a really scary movie!"

"A r-really scary movie... i-it's not scary unless it freaks me out... hm. Maybe something psychologically scary a-and not monster or demon scary?"

"...Birdie, I'm beginning to think that nothing will scare you"

"Oh no, th-there's one thing that scares me... b-but he kicked me out, so I don't have to see him anymore"

Gil held me close and I layed my head back on his shoulder. I felt the Prussian' cheek on the top of my head and I smiled. Hopefully I wouldn't have to make any more trips to the roof, because if Feli could hear me sing... that wasn't good. I didn't like singing in front of people.

Ludwig came down the stairs and told us to get dressed because there was another person coming over to look at the puppies. This time, Gil and I would be doing the actual puppy stuff and Ludwig would be handling the paperwork and stuff. I was pretty excited; I hoped the puppies went to a good home! Though... I didn't want to move. Gil was warm, and I had a feeling we wouldn't get a moment like this for the rest of the day. From the little I'd heard from Ludwig, there were about seven people coming, all at different times... oh boy.


	9. Puppy Eyes Skill Level: Canadian

"But bruder, we don't want to get uuuuuuuup!"

"Gilbert! I don't care, you are getting up this instant or I am not paying you this week!"

"Luddy, don't be unawesome! It's only... five in the... FIVE IN THE MORNING!? Fuck that, I'm going back to sleep"

"The people are coming in ten minutes"

And just like that, Gil was out of bed. I stretched and kind of stumbled my way to the bathroom, where I found a comb and ran it through my hair a few times to get it into some form of a style. I didn't think the people coming would appreciate me looking like I'd just been shocked. I walked back in the room and clothes were immediately thrown at me. I just stripped and put them on. It was five in the morning, and I was up early yesterday so my brain wasn't functioning right. I just hoped Gil had the good sense to look away...

"Birdie, we're so going to bed after this.. the awesome me is not going to sacrifice my sleep. And you look like a zombie"

"Oh d-did my arm fall off again? Can y-you get it for me?"

"Kesesese, it looks like you still have the ability to be a sarcastic little vogel"

"O-of course... I-I get kinda sassy when I just wake up"

"I'll keep that in mind"

D-did Gil just... wink at me? Well, that woke me up right away. My face's shade went from kind of a pale peach to bright red in a matter of seconds, making the albino chuckle as he pulled on his shirt. I quickly finished zipping up my pants and we went upstairs. There was a bowl of cereal for us both. We gulped down our breakfasts in a matter of seconds (I almost choked on one of the marshmallows... I think it was the balloon). After breakfast was over there was a knock at the door. I got pulled into the dog room by the collar of my shirt and I was basically dropped on the couch.

"Okay birdie. Let the awesome me do all the talking, since you're not awake enough to be anything but sarcastic. And while the awesome me thinks that is amusing, and you should be like that all the time, other people don't want to hear you crack some joke about their fur coat running away. Got it?"

I chuckled and nodded.

"Good" Gil crouched down to look into my eyes. "And if anyone asks about your personal life or what you're doing here, just say you live here and don't give any details. Some people... well, you've already had experiences with unawesome people"

" O-oui, I've got it"

Gil smiled and stood up. One of the puppies jumped into my arms and as soon as it did, the door opened. A little girl with curly, fiery orange hair stepped in the room and immediately ran over to me.

"Aww, it's so cute! Mister, can I hold it?"

Her blue eyes were pleading, but I had to get permission first. I quickly glanced at Gil, who gave a short nod. The puppy went into her arms and she sat beside me on the couch while Gil and the little girl's family talked about the dogs. Blackie was brought in and the whole family got to pet him. I could see it; the little girl's heart was set on the dog in her arms. She asked me to hold him while her family had a conference of sorts. Gil winked at me again, causing me to blush. Yet again. Gil better not think that's a weapon to use against me... I still know where to tickle him. The family walked back over and the little girl's eyes were sad.

"Mister... we can't take the puppy... he's too expensive"

I looked at Gil and turned on full pleading, puppy eyes mode. He stared fora a few seconds before finally cracking.

"I guess we can lower the price... mom, dad you want to come see what we can do?"

The parents gave me a smile as they nodded and followed Gil. I handed the girl the puppy and she jumped on the couch beside me.

"He's so cute... I'm going to play fetch with him, and he's going to snuggle with me, and we're going to be best friends forever!"

I smiled and called Blackie over. He sat down in front of me and put his head on my lap. The girl noticed and smiled.

"Mister, I think the daddy likes you!"

"O-oui, I think he does t-too"

"Was that French? We're learning how to speak french in school! I don't know very much yet... but I will get better!"

"i-I know you will... do you l-like learning french?"

"Oh yes! It's such a pretty language.. though mommy and daddy say I'll probably get bored of it later. But I don't see that happening! I'm going to go to France when I'm older, and I'm going to bring Kain with me!"

"W-who's Kain?"

"My doggy! His name is going to be Kain, because that's my most favouritest name of all!"

We couldn't say any more because the parents walked back in, looking sad.

"Lilac... I'm sorry, but..."

"But what? No! Kain is coming with me, and that's final! Please daddy, I love him so much! We can't be split now, look! He really loves me and-"

"We're going to have to keep the dog"

Three... two... one...

"YAYY! Oh, Kain! We're going to have so much fun together! Thank you daddy and mommy, and thank you Mister and... other Mister!"

Gilbert waved as they said goodbye then his gaze fixed on me. I could tell I was probably going to get in trouble... but it was worth it. That little girl and that puppy... there was just something between them. The albino sat on the floor beside Blackie and looked at me with a smirk.

"Birdie... how did you master the puppy eyes?"

"Um... I-I don't know... am I in trouble?"

"You would be if it were Luddy doing this instead of me. But... even the awesome me has to admit. That was adorable and... feelings-y. So I'll let you off the hook this time"

I smiled and relaxed a little. Ludwig came in and told us that the next person coming in was an old lady, so we were to be very careful. I stood up, because I figured she'd like to sit down. When she got to the door, Gil opened it and helped her inside.

"Oh, you're just too kind, Gilbert... now, where are the little whippersnappers?"

"Right over here- Nein! Down, Berlitz!"

"Oh my!"

The rest of the day was... tiring, to say the least. We had over ten people come to the door and all of them left with additions to their lives. I only had to use the puppy look that one time, because for everyone else the price range was just right. After the last person left, I plopped to the couch. Gil sat beside me and slung an arm over my shoulders. There was silence for a few moments, before I had to ask the one thing going through my head all day.

"Hey, Gil... h-how much did you sell that first puppy for?"

"Ah... tell anyone this and you're sleeping on the roof naked with only dog food to eat, but... he was free"

"R-really?!"

"Ja... their money situation was just good enough that they could afford everything for the puppy, but... just not the puppy at the price he was at. So... the awesome me just gave him to them"

I couldn't stop myself. I shifted so I was sitting in Gil's lap and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me after a little hesitation and pressed his cheek to the top of my head. I rested the side of my face on the place where his collarbone met his shoulder and nuzzled the spot. Gil chuckled a little and nuzzled my hair in return.

"You know Birdie, I'm noticing something"

"Q-quoi?"

"You fit perfectly in my arms"

...I will admit it, that sentence did make my heartbeat go insane. I hugged Gil juuuust a little tighter and smiled. We stayed like that for what felt like hours... Gil wa just so comfy. I realised something and lifted my head.

"Oh! W-we still need to make the video!"

"Right! Ja, the awesome me knew that. So... after, we are sleeping"

I nodded, though I didn't have much say in the matter. Something told me that once Gil had set his mind to something... good luck trying to stop him. We went downstairs and Gil threw me a tee shirt and one of his track pants.

"So, this is how it's going to work. The awesome me will be your editor since I actually know how to do the computer shit. Do only one song per video, and if you want we can do a Q and A"

I sat on the bed and grabbed my violin. I nodded and Gil frowned.

"Is that a ja or a nein?"

"Th-that's a.. a oui, I guess..."

"Alright. Just let me get the camera set up, you warm up... just do your thing, kese!"

I nodded and stood up, going to a place in the room where I could move a little. I said my introduction in French, because it felt weird doing it in English with Gil there. I played Paradise by Coldplay and a mashup of... a lot of songs. The Prussian had to shake my shoulder to get me out of my music-induced trance. I blushed and looked over to see that the camera was set up and pointing at me. The albino turned on the light and gave last minute instructions.

"Give your introduction, then just play... okay?"

I nodded and he hit play. I said my introduction then started to play Paradise again. Once I was done I smiled and lowered the violin. Gil hit a few buttons and sat down on the bed. With one finger he motioned for me to sit beside him, which I did. We watched the video and Gil appeared to make mental notes of where to edit a little. I was surprised at how... peaceful I looked while playing. I usually wasn't focused on my facial expression while playing; I was only focused on covering any mistakes and trying to add a little of my own flair to the song.

"Birdie, you just wanna take a nap? Bruder'll come and wake us up when supper is ready... HEY LUDDY! WAKE US UP IN ABOUT TWO HOURS, JA?"

I heard a grunt in response and took off the shirt I was wearing. It had been a long day. I immediately crawled under the covers (while still wearing Gil's track pants... I hope he didn't mind), though I couldn't sleep for a while. But once the albino's arms were around me I was out like a light.

"Birdie, wake up! Supper's ready... well, we just got take-out, but it's here now so get up!"

"B-but I just got to sleep..."

"Ja, three hours ago"

I immediately sat up. Three hours? It didn't even feel like one hour! Sighing, my body just flopped to the side.

And landed on Gil's.

He chuckled and pulled me into his lap. As usual, my brain was a mess so I just cuddled close and closed my eyes. I did feel myself being lifted off the bed, so I opened them up again. Gil was carrying me up the stairs... oh maple. once we were at the landing, I jumped out of the albino's arms and walked the rest of the way up the stairs. There was Wendy's on the table, so I just sat down and grabbed the food closest to me. There was a chuckle in my ear as Gil sat beside me and started to eat.

"S-so... did you get all the editing done?"

"Nein, you looked so ado-... sleepy. So..your expression when you were trying to sleep made me sleepy and I stopped when I was almost done to... come... sleep"

"Gil... y-you do realise that while I m-may be a zombie, I am a very smart zombie and can tell when you m-mess up your words?"

"...Ja, but that also means you can be awesome and forget everything I said"

"W-what was that, sonny?"

"Old man zombie? Damn, you're tired, kesesese!"

I smacked Gil with a fry and got hit with another fry. It was sort of a fry-sword fight... which I won by eating Gil's 'sword'. He just chuckled and continued eating and throwing his food at me. I think I got hit with a pickle... or was it just a piece of lettuce... I don't know. When we finished and finally got the chance to go to bed, I just striped down to my boxer and climbed in bed. Gil wasn't far behind, and this time I would hopefully have a better sleep. Tomorrow I had some questions for Gil...


	10. Why is Home like a Battlefield?

I woke up to find Gil's arms around me and my head on his chest. I was pretty sure we didn't fall asleep like this. Maybe I moved around in my sleep. But that only happened when I had nightmares... weird A shiver went through Gil's body. Then I realised something: we didn't have a blanket...

"You up, Birdie?"

"O-oui... why d-don't we have a blanket?"

"Ah... bruder stole it when he found out about the puppy I gave away. Then he dragged the awesome me upstairs and we got into this huge argument. I don't know how you didn't wake up, the old lady from across the street came over and yelled at us to, and I quote, 'Shut up or she'd beat us over the head with her cane, fall on the ground, call the cops and say it was one of us'. Not an awesome way to start the day"

"Oh no... I-I don't know how I didn't wake up either... s-so, after you came down... I b-became your blanket?"

"Ja. And it works because I like cuddling with you"

"Why?"

That question hug in the air. Even in the darkness I could tell Gil was frowning and trying to formulate an answer. I snuggled closer, silently telling him to not stop with the cuddling. It was... nice (but maybe a little selfish of me... maybe) to get the attention from him, even though he'd kind of payed attention to me since we met. I felt the albino shrug and I lifted my head.

"I-I... well, in the last relationship I had, the person I was with didn't like to cuddle... they just wanted sex and that was pretty much it. They thought I was in it for that too, but... I fell in love with them, told them and they left the awesome me. So, I don't know, it's nice to cuddle with someone... and it'll help me figure out what the fuck my sexuality is..."

"A-are you confused about th-that?"

"Ja... but that's not important. What is important is it's awesome pancake day and the awesome you should go up there and make some! Kesese!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled goodnaturedly as I got of him. He rolled out of bed and went to his drawers for something. There was an article of clothing thrown at my face. It fell into my hands and I made a surprised sound of joy at how soft it was... n-no, I wasn't rubbing it against my face...

"Birdie... what are you doing?"

"N-nothing! Maple..."

...I didn't even realise the lights had been turned on. I looked at Gil kind of a lot like a deer caught in the headlights (with the sweater against my face) and he just rolled his eyes.

"If you want, the awesome me can go get duck tape and tape that to your face..."

I quickly put on the sweater and wiggled around a little in it. It was so soft... like wearing a cloud. Wait... clouds are water, so that probably wouldn't be fun... plus in the sunlight they evaporate... aaaaand here come the mental images.

"You really like that sweater, huh?"

"O-oui... i-it's really warm"

"Ja, I know. Did you even look at what it says on the front?"

"Oh, non..."

"It's for the Walking Dead and it's got an awesome picture of a zombie horde trying to get on top a building"

"Cool... th-this isn't another attempt to scare me, i-is it?"

"...Nein, why would I try to do that? That's just unawesome! I-"

"Y-you failed again"

Gil smirked and leaned against the wall.

"What the hell will it take to scare you?! The classics don't scare you, zombies don't scare you, hell not even the awesome me in the morning scares you! What. Will. It. Taaaaake?!"

"Um... I-I don't know... something worse than w-what I saw while on the road?"

"Which would be what?"

"...I'm going to say a lot of things and leave i-it there..."

"Fiiiiiine... pancake time"

I nodded and we went upstairs to find Ludwig reading a newspaper. And holding it in a way that clearly indicated he was in a bad mood. Feli not being his usual bubbly self was also a major indicator that the tall German was very upset. That was probably not good... Gil and I first walked to the living room and turned on the TV. The Prussian immediately turned the station to Wipeout Canada and looked like he'd claimed a fort or something. No one was saying anything, and I didn't want to break the silence so I just sat there, laughing quietly at the ridiculous obstacles and people's failed attempts at getting over them. Gil kept giving me sideways glances whenever I laughed. I didn't look over to catch him doing that, because... I-I don't know, it would feel weird and make the atmosphere more awkward then it already was from everyone not talking. Gil ventured into the kitchen and got some things from the fridge. He came back a few minutes later and handed me a sandwich while eating another. I took it and smiled.

"Merc-ci beaucoup, Gil"

"Ja, no problem. It's not safe to go in there for now, so pancakes for lunch or something... oh! I gotta finish editing your video. The awesome me'll be right ba-... actually, your legs look freezing so come down with me"

"I-it's okay to eat down there?"

"Why wouldn't it be? It's our room after all"

We walked downstairs while eating. As we walked past Ludwig I gave him a small wave. He nodded and continued reading. Once we were downstairs Gil pulled up a chair beside his computer chair. I quickly finished my food and grabbed my violin.

"You gonna play, Birdie?"

"O-oui... th-that's okay, right?"

"Ja, that's fine with the awesome me... just play a little quieter than normal, lest the unawesome drachen upstairs come down here"

I chuckled and dragged the bow across the strings absentmindedly, trying to think of a song. I ended up playing an interesting mix of Fireflies and Vanilla Twilight, with a little Green Day mixed in there... just... don't ask. It was something I did when I was actually playing for fun. Mashing random songs and trying to make them sound good together was an interesting challenge. I looked up in the middle of my playing to see Gil bouncing in his seat while doing his.. computer-y stuff. I was... heh, kind of technologically challenged... so I had no idea what he was doing. He tried explaining it to me but I don't think he knew how, exactly. He just used the word awesome a bunch of times and I nodded while still playing.

"And that is how you awesomely edit a video! Think you could do it, birdie?"

"N-non... I-I'm not good with computers..."

"Either that or you weren't listening"

"O-oui. T-take your pick"

"Both, kesesese! Oh, Birdie! You think you could play this song? it's one of the awesome me's favourites"

He clicked Youtube and showed me a song by Metallica. I'd heard this one before, though i'd never played it. It was called Battery, and it was pretty high tempo. I liked those kinds of songs because they were fun to play! It took me only seven minutes to find all the notes in the song. Gil looked pretty impressed.

"Birdie, how do you do that?"

I blushed and set the violin on the bed.

"I-I don't know... A-as long as I f-find the first note, everything else comes n-naturally"

"Huh... The awesome me used to be able to do that untillllnevermind."

I tilted my head to the side and looked at him confused.

"Non, y-you can tell me. What stopped you from b-being able to do that?"

"Nothing Birdie, don't worry. The awesome me'll tell you sometime, okay? As for right now... I think fresh air would be awesome. You wanna take Kuma for a walk?"

I nodded and we went upstairs to get Kuma. As soon as Gilbert and Ludwig layed eyes on each other, it felt like a war zone. Slightly scared, I shrunk into Gil's side. The glaring was... k-kind of frightening. I looked up at Gil and got a sense of deja-vu. It was like that day when we were at the shoe store. I swear recognition flashed in the ruby eyes and the scarlet orbs softened a little. But when he looked back at the tall German, Gilbert's glare was so intense Ludwig actually looked away. The Prussian grabbed my hand and gently led me into the puppy room, where he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that Birdie... just... that damned argument was the worst we've had in a while"

"I-I understand..."

It was silent for a few moments. I looked over at Gil and he appeared to be thinking about something. I gave him a small smile, and he looked at me without returning it.

"Mattie... the awesome me has a question"

This took me by surprise. The only questions he'd asked was where I came from and things about my musical skills.

"S-sure, I guess"

"You... you don't mind that we cuddle and shit, even though we're not awesomely dating, ja?"

He looked at me with worried, large eyes. I crossed the room and stood in front of him, smiling a little.

"Gil... i-if I minded it, I'd a-already be gone. It feels... n-nice to get attention, I guess... since you know... I didn't get much as a k-kid..."

"Ja... the reason I asked is that's part of what the argument was about... bruder... well, he thinks some things that are completely untrue and unawesome. I don't need to get into details. Kuma!"

The white dog-bear came running over from his resting spot on Aster. The Golden Retriever looked up, then looked back down. He probably missed the warmth on his side. Gil got a leash from one of the hooks on the wall and put it on the animal's collar.

"Birdie, just stay on my right side and don't look back at bruder. That way you won't get scared again"

"Y-you noticed...?"

"Ja, of course. Why wouldn't I? It's been more than a week since you came here, I can at least read the awesome you a little"

I couldn't stop the warm feeling from coursing through my body. We walked out and I did as I was told. We got on our shoes and grabbed some small black bags, then the Prussian opened the door. We heard footsteps behind us and we turned.

"Gilbert, wait-"

The albino fired back a in German that was seething in anger, and the shocked expression on Ludwig's face, coupled with the fact that I was nearly dragged out the door proved that this argument had been very serious. Obviously Ludwig had said something that really hurt Gil. Otherwise he wouldn't be this angry. I had to jog to keep up with his swift strides.

"He fucking knows not to bring that up. Gottverdamn, Ludwig! You are the most unawesome person on this earth, go live with the damned fucking aristocrat for fuck's sake!"

He was muttering under his breath, though I'm pretty sure he knew I could hear him. I simply remained silent and watched the random curl sticking out of my forehead bob as I jogged. We turned onto a street I wasn't familiar with, though that was probably most of the town. I looked at Gil's eyes and immediately looked away. The red in them was the colour of blood and anger, and anger in someone's eyes was one of the few things that scared me.

While Gil was trying to calm down, I ended up working myself up over something... kind of important. To me, at least. Gil's question and the reasoning behind it worried me. What if... what if my affection for him was just one-sided? What if he was only cuddling with me out of pity? What if he was only using me for some reason? What if, what if, what if. That was the only thing I could think about. But... the unknown 'what ifs' terrified me. I'd been extremely careful with my heart since... him... so it'd been a long time since the emotion of 'love' had been activated. So long that I'd forgotten what it felt like. It was... scary. Even though I hadn't actually given myself the go-ahead to be in love again, my heart apparently had other ideas. I snuck another look at the albino and caught him doing the same. He gave me a quick smile and turned on another unfamiliar street. This time it ended in gravel that almost blended in with the snow. I felt the combination of material crunch under my light steps as I further immersed myself in my thoughts.

I looked up again and we were in a white-coverd field. it extended so far that though it was a clear day, I couldn't see where it ended. There were no trees close by, just a few off in the distance and one lonely bush about ten metres to my right. I looked to my left and saw Gil taking off his coat.

"Birdie, let Kuma off the leash... the awesome me wants to race him. Otherwise I'm gonna punch a tree"

I did as I was told again, and let the hybrid off the leash. Gil counted down from... probably three in German, then took off running. Kuma looked at me with hesitation, like he wanted me to go too. I told him to go attack Gil and he sprinted off.

That left me, alone in the snow. I didn't know how good of an idea that was, considering the things going through my head, but at least now I could get them _out_ of my head. Usually, venting through my violin was the best option. But I didn't have it with me. So instead, I just grabbed a stick from the bush and sat down on Gil's coat. I doubted he would mind. I started writing in the snow.

_Gil. What if the cuddling is something he just does with his friends? He doesn't cuddle with Feli, but then again that would probably be a bad idea considering Feli is married to Ludwig. But, Feli appears to like hugs... that night with twister, Gil didn't return the hug. So I guess that rules out that possibility. What if the cuddling was just because he felt bad? It's been... probably twelve days since I came to the house, and in the first few days he didn't cuddle with me that much. It was only after the singing on the roof. Wait... why was he worried about me? Probably because... well, he at least considers me a so far, the only people to come in the house from the family are Roderich and Elizaveta, and I don't think Gil has anything to prove to them. So, he has nothing to gain, really. But still, what if.. the fact I like him more than a friend is one-sided? I don't know about that... it's been so long... but. I guess he's cuddling with me because he wants to..._

After I was done writing all that in the snow, I swept my hand across it to erase my thoughts. Just in time, too because Gil and Kuma came running back from wherever. I sighed quietly and looked up at Gil. Though my thoughts were a little clearer, I was still driving myself insane. My chin was lifted by a pale finger and I was forced to look into the swirling , now-ruby orbs.

"Birdie... what's wrong. The awesome me noticed you looked scared even while we were walking, and now you're unawesomely sad. What's up?"

"N-nothing... don't worry about it, Gil. Just... flashbacks"

I hated lying to him, and I hated it so much I felt my stomache get ill. But I couldn't tell him what I was actually thinking about. Besides, my lye was really a half truth. The flashbacks I was getting from the angry looks did normally make me sad. I just hoped Gil couldn't see through me... hopefully he couldn't read me that well just yet.

"Okay... but, that isn't the entire truth, is it? Ja, the flashbacks might have scared you... but something triggered them. I know, I... I get them too"

...How... how did he know I was lying?! I winced slightly as my head got bombarded by more questions without answers. Trying to get my mind off of that, I realised was the perfect opportunity to ask the other question I wanted to today. Just maybe in a different form. I had wanted to ask about his childhood, but I figured I would probably hear about that.

"W-why?"

Gil sat in the snow and pulled me in his lap, hugging me close to him. I immediately returned the hug and looked into his now sad, very dark red eyes. Hm... I wonder if his story was something like mine...?


	11. Gil's Story

"Well Birdie... you're not the only one who's lived on the streets. The awesome me was homeless for the first twelve years of my life... I don't even know why I was on the street in the first place. Maybe because I'm albino, maybe my mom and dad just couldn't feed me... I'll never know..."

Gil shifted me a little in his lap so he could take my full weight. I hugged him tight and layed my head on his collarbone. He pressed his cheek to my forehead and continued.

"I found Ludwig on the street when I was seven, so he was... about six. We immediately clicked because our situations were the same. Two little kids in Germany, homeless and neither of us were good at begging. Really, the only time we got money was when Ludwig was on his own and he was crying. Everyone was scared of me.

" An old guy who ran a bakery always gave us food, in return for whatever money we had. But when he died and his son took over... he made our lives a living hell. He actually tried beating us when we came in the store like usual... he got me, but bruder managed to get out. I had bruises after that, and they don't go away quickly. So after that, we made sure the guy was out before we snuck in through the back. Once a week we got some food, and one of the guys working there actually helped us... we probably would have been dead if he didn't distract the owner so we could get out"

The Prussian paused to get his breath and I think he made a face as he tried to remember things.

"That guy... he was the reason we got to Canada in the first place. We'd been giving him all our money since the nice owner passed on, and I guess he kept it in a jar or something because one day- well, night... he told the current owner of the bakery that he was leaving early, right when we got there. He took us to the dock, handed us two tickets and pointed to a ship. We ran there, thanking the guy and got on board to come here. We got to Canada... I don't know how long after. Since we were just two kids from Germany, we didn't know how to speak english. No one knew what the hell we were saying except for this old lady. She told us to follow her, and we got in a car for the first time... kesese, it was fun! The road was really bumpy, so we were bouncing in the backseat! She took us to this little house in a not so awesome neighborhood and just said 'This is home now'"

"Sh-she just took you in?"

"Ja. She even managed to get us birth certificates and health cards and shit like that"

"Wow..."

"Ja... she taught us english but told us to never forget how to speak German, because knowing two languages would help in life. She was right; knowing German is actually how we got the dogs. But anyways... conditions there weren't exactly awesome, but... it was a hell of a lot better than living on the street. Mutter had a guitar and she taught the awesome me how to play by ear. It's been so fucking long though... I can't remember how to do it, so obviously I'm not as awesome at that as you. Anyways, when we got to highschool, oh mein gott it was bad. I got into everything possible and it really pissed Mutter off... but she tolerated it. She did that until... g-grade twelve, a week before my graduation... she died of a stroke"

Gil buried his face in my hair and stopped his breathing for a few seconds, probably so he wouldn't cry. Just from the way he spoke... he really loved the woman who'd been so nice as to take him and his brother in. Though, it made sense. I loved my maman, and... I'd never even met her. The albino sniffled a little and tried to get his breathing under control. I thought he did a pretty good job of that.

"A-after that... j-ja, the awesome me lost it, and... fuck, Birdie I did some pretty bad stuff... I left Ludwig practically alone for that period, and actually... I just got my drinking under control a few weeks before I picked you up"

"R-really? W-what... what did you do?"

"Let's see... drinking, barfights, one night stands, I went to jail for a few days for streaking through the Christmas parade one year... we actually had to move towns because of that. When we did... Luddy met Feli, and they hit it off. I met some chicks that seemed like they'd be perfect for the awesome me, but I was fucking messed up so I didn't know what I wanted. My last girlfriend... she helped me a lot; she was actually the reason I calmed down so much. But she only did it because she didn't want me banging her while I was drunk off my ass"

"Th-that's... an i-interesting reason to g-get you clean-ish..."

"Ja. And I fell in love with her once I was actually sober for a while... she broke up with me literally two seconds after I told her. apparently she only wanted 'friends with benefits', the dumb bitch"

"W-when did you... stop leaving Ludwig a-alone?"

"After he came out to me that he was dating a guy"

"O-oh... what... what was your reaction?"

"Well, I was... kind of weirded out, but Luddy was happy with Feli so who was I to complain?"

"S-so... you really didn't care?"

"You're still scared about my sexuality, huh?"

"N-non"

"Well... now the awesome you knows the story of me, and really... I've been waiting to tell you"

"W-why?"

"Because that's pretty much my test of awesomeness... if you can handle that, then you are at least partially awesome. My best friends, Francine and Antonio... they only know a little. They just know that the awesome me and Ludwig aren't biological bruders and that we were homeless for a while"

"W-why don't you tell them the r-rest of it?"

"Because... Birdie, if I told them, then chances are they would not want to be my friends anymore... Francine even said some pretty unawesome things about homeless people before the awesome me got pissed and said that I was homeless for a part of my life. She shut right up after that, kese!"

"S-so.. you're afraid of losing them?"

"Ja... it's pretty unawesome, but...besides you, they're the only ones I've got to hang out with and talk to... I pretty much alienated myself with all the shit I did..."

There was silence as I thought through everything. Gil... his life had been pretty rough too. I thought about the way he talked about his mother, the soft, respectful voice he used. Then when he was talking about the things he did after, it was something between a whine and a growl.

"Birdie... my ass is frozen. Can we get up now?"

"O-oui.. sorry"

"It's fine, vogel... so, what do you want to do now?"

"Oh, u-um... I-i don't know..."

"The awesome me snatched some money while I was getting on my coat... you hungry?"

We both heard my stomach growl on cue. I blushed a little and nodded yes. Gil picked up his coat, grabbed Kuma's leash and we all walked out of the field. This time the pace was a lot slower, because Gil was a lot calmer now. I still didn't know what had upset him so much that he'd walk out like that...

"Birdie, we're going to drop Kuma off at home then go eat... the awesome me doesn't want to see Luddy just yet. he might bring up something else unawesome"

I nodded and we continued the walk home. We took a shortcut through the park we'd gone through last time and we were home very quickly. We just got Kuma's leash off, gave him a treat and then we left again. We walked for a little and it seemed aimless to me. But I saw flashing lights and signs, so I figured we were at downtown.

"So... what are you in the mood for?"

"U-um... anything?"

"Tires?"

"Q-quoi?!"

"Kesese, kidding... eating tires would be weird. Actually, the awesome me knows a place we could go... you like German food, ja?"

"I-I guess?"

"You're so flustered"

"W-well I don't know the answers to these questions a-and why would you even ask me if I want t-to eat tires that's just graah and I-"

I was cut off by a finger to my lips and a giant smirk. Gil was about to say something, but he stopped himself. Instead, he just pointed to a place a little down the street and started walking there. He looked over his shoulder with that smirk and... my face was probably fifty shades of red. I followed and he opened the door to the place, holding it for me. I walked in and I immediately liked the place. There was a real fireplace at the back of the restaurant. Booths lined the walls, along with stools in the intervals between the booths. The tables in the middle were filled by only a few people.

Gilbert yelled something to the back and a short, well rounded man came running out. He hugged Gilbert and messed up the albino's hair a little, before returning the... greeting... in German. They had a little conversation before we were led to one of the booths. We sat down and Gil took off his coat.

"You know, you can take off that sweater..."

"A-actually, I can't... I'm not wearing anything u-underneath"

"Oh... ja, in that case don't take it off, kesesese!"

I nodded and looked the place over. It was really nice, and had an old feeling to it. The decorations were probably of Germany. I know I saw the German flag at least ten times.

"This is one of the awesome me's favourite places to eat... the guy who came out, Dolph, he's been a friend of ours since Mutter... passed on. We lost touch for a little, but when we moved here we found him again!"

At that moment the man walked back, carrying two menus. Gilbert said something to the guy and he hid one menu behind his back... it was probably in German. He left and Gil read me the choices. I decided to just go with the meatballs and mashed potatoes. I was read the list of drinks, and I just got rootbeer. There wasn't any wine. Gil told our orders to the guy and he went in the back to make everything. The Prussian smiled a little and looked at me.

"You know... I was expecting you to take the awesome me's story differently... more specifically, the awesome me crying"

"W-what did you think I'd do?"

"I don't know, tell me to grow a pair..."

I chuckled and he quirked an eyebrow.

"Y-you seriously thought, that a-after I told you my life story a-and cried on your shoulder th-that _I_ would tell y-you to grow a pair?"

"Well... just... dont tell anyone what I told you, ja?"

"I-I believe that goes w-without saying... besides, who would I tell? I-I haven't even met your friends yet"

"True... so... you don't care about the fact that I did all the shit I did?"

"W-well... you stopped d-drinking excessively, a-and you're obviously not happy w-with what you did... b-besides, that's in the past now... I-I just don't think it affects me v-very much"

"Ja... you're right... huh. Maybe the awesome me can learn how to play by ear again"

I smiled at him and got a wink in return. I looked back at the decorations of the place, though I could feel Gil's eyes on me. The guy came with our food and ruffled my hair a little. Gil chuckled and started eating his food. I picked up my fork and did the same. It was yummy, but... I liked Gil's mashed potatoes better. For dessert we got cake and that... that was the best cake I'd ever had. I even told Gil to tell the owner guy that. Though I think somehow he changed my message... the chuckle from the owner was a little too mischievous.

When we were all finished, we left our plates and a tip. We walked out and headed in the direction of home, where I was kind of fearing Ludwig's reaction to us being gone so long. but when we got in the door... Ludwig wasn't there. Neither was Feli or the dogs, so that answered that question. We decided to just watch TV until the other two came home.

"G-Gil... d-do you think Ludwig's going to be okay, o-or will it be another war zone?"

"The awesome me's pretty sure it'll be okay. Besides, if he does get unawesome we're going downstairs"

I nodded and rested my head on the armrest of the couch. We'd done a lot of walking, so I figured it was nap time. I just hoped yelling wouldn't be what woke me up.


	12. Waking up to Puppies and Prussians

When I woke up, I was in the same position as before. But there was a blanket on me and quiet chuckling behind me. An arm was wrapped around me and something warm and heavy was on my legs. As I became more awake, I realised I didn't have the sweater on. Good thing it was just Gil. He was shirtless too, so I could feel him pressed against my back. I pressed back into him a little and he nuzzled my hair.

"You up, Birdie?"

"N-non... give it a f-few minutes"

Gil chuckled again and smiled against my head.

"Hey Birdie, I got good news"

"Quoi?"

"We have the whole entire house to ourselves for the entire week!"

"R-really? Pourquoi?"

"Feli had a family reunion he forgot about until today, so they left right away"

"O-oh! Yay... we can sleep a-all day"

"Eheh... actually Birdie, we have some people coming to look at the puppies this week"

"Th-that's fine too... what's o-on my legs?"

"That would be Blackie, Aster and Kuma"

I propped myself up on my elbow and looked down. All three dogs were spread out across Gilbert's and my legs. Blackie lifted his head and wagged his tail. I reached down and patted the large dog's head. Gil nuzzled my hair again and I felt him smile. I looked out the window and the sun was up. The TV was on and apparently Gil was watching Shrek. I layed back down and smiled.

"Cuddle time?"

"Shhh, Shrek i-is on"

I somehow managed to turn without disturbing the dogs and snuggled into Gil's chest. He wrapped his arms around me tight and smiled. One of the dogs walked up and plopped on our sides. I think it was Blackie. I wonder why he liked me so much... huh. We stayed like that until the movie was over. Blackie jumped off and barked. Berlitz and the puppies ran in and jumped on us. I laughed at my face was attacked by little tongues and paws. A few of the puppies got under the blanket and snuggled between Gil and I. I curled around the puppies so they were warm. The German Shepherd puppies fell right asleep, but the golden retriever puppies wanted to be a little more active. They explored under the blanket and between our legs, before finally settling down on my legs.

"Gil... I-I think they really like me"

"Kesese, I think so too! I think bruder left a list on the fridge or something... I was half asleep when he told me..."

"D-did he wake you up?"

"Uh, kind of? I was trying to get your sweater off because it was wet"

"Oh.. I-I didn't even notice"

"Ja... even though you're awesome, you're still prone to colds!"

"Oui... sh-should we get up?"

"Ja, that would probably be a good idea"

Gil said something in German and all the dogs except Kuma got down. I told him to get off in French and he obeyed. The puppies were still between me and Gil, so we just took off the blanket and lifted them down. We got up and stretched. A few things cracked in my back, but I swear every joint in Gil's arms cracked. He suddenly looked at me with excited eyes.

"Birdie! Pancake time! Then we should go downstairs and check the video"

"O-oui, that would be a good idea... a-and you really like my pancakes, h-huh?"

"Ja! They are the most delicious thing the awesome me has ever eaten!"

"A-actually, I think your wurst and potatoes a-are better... but that's just me"

"Ja, that is just you, kesese! I used to make them all the time for bruder"

"S-something tells me you'll be making them a lot th-this week"

The albino just laughed and walked in the kitchen. He got out the maple syrup, a fork, a plate and sat down. I rolled my eyes and got the basic ingredients for the food down. THen I opened the fridge and looked through it for something to put in them. I found some chocolate chips and put them in the mix. With a little more searching (and Gil's help) I found some butterscotch chips and put those in there too. A few minutes later, there was two stacks of pancakes on two plates. With a big, pleased smirk Gil drowned his in maple syrup and almost fell out of his chair.

"Damnit Birdie, how the hell do you make these so good!?"

"U-um... I don't know... it just h-happens?"

I drowned my own food in the sticky substance and took a bite. They were pretty good! I looked up in the middle of eating and Gil was laughing quietly to himself while he practically inhaled his meal. I laughed and continued eating, finishing only a minute after Gil. I washed the dishes and put them away, then turned to the Prussian with a smile.

"So... w-what are we going to do today?"

"Hm... well, checking the list would be a good idea"

I walked over and got the list from the fridge. It was in English, so I read today's things to do to Gil.

"We have to wash the dogs a-and the puppies, feed them, take them a-all for a walk, then clean our room a-and prepare f-for tomorrow... it looks like we have five families c-coming"

"Alright... first, we cross off the cleaning. Second... since it's cold out, we'll walk the dogs first then bathe them in awesomeness! Then they'll eat"

I nodded and we went downstairs. Gil immediately went to the computer and opened Youtube. I looked over his shoulder and was shocked. Already there were fifty views, two comments and three favourites. The Prussian turned and smirked again. I almost never got more than thirty people watching me, but now...

"Wanna know what the comments say?"

"O-oui"

"Okay, Beerflavouredpancake says: 'Wow you are really good, and this was just the song I've been looking for! I guess my question is how did you learn to play so well?' And Riverclan says: 'You are incredible! I'm astonished by how well you play, keep it up!'"

"Gil... c-can we watch the video again?"

Wordlessly he clicked play. I watched my face and my fingers on the strings. It did look like I was enjoying myself... that probably had something to do with all the views. There was a sound that come from the computer as soon as the video was done. Gil clicked a different tab that popped up as facebook. There was a message from someone. Deciding it was none of my business, I went and got dressed. I had just gotten a new pair of pants on when I was called over. Shirtless, I walked to the computer and saw that Gil was... video chatting with someone. This someone was a girl, who was wearing a blue blouse and had her light brown hair in a ponytail. Her eyes were purple (like mine). As soon as I went into the camera's vision, her eyes lit up.

"Honhonhon! Qui is this, mon ami?"

"T-tu parle le francais?"

"Oui! Gilbert, who is heeeeee!"

"Just gimmy a sec, Francine! Mein gott, I haven't seen you this excited since that other french guy"

"Hey! He was really cute and oh, the way he spoke francaise was trés bon!"

"...Ja. Birdie, this is one of my best friends, Francine!"

"Oh, is that a nickname? Gilbert, is there something going on that you have not yet told your best friend about, hm?"

"Nein, we're just friends... well, cuddle buddies. Anyways, his real name is Matthew"

"Well, bonjour Matthieu! Comment ca va?"

"C-ca va bien, et toi?"

"Ca va trés bien! So, where is your home?"

"H-here"

"You are living with Gilbert? Where do you sleep?"

"He sleeps with me, Francey-pants. You know how unawesome the couch can get"

"Oh, oui! So... I am coming to visit in about half an hour. And you can't say anything about it, and neither can Ludwi-"

"He and Feli aren't here for the entire week, so you picked a good time! Where's Tony?"

"That lazy sack of tomatoes is still sleeping... I swear, he could sleep all day. I do not think he will mind if I visit"

"Nein, I don't think he will either. Oh, by the way. Birdie's gay, so any attempts to woo him will be futile!"

"Merde! It's always the cute ones... anyways, au revoir, mon amis! See you in a little while!"

Her end of the video chat cut off and Gil almost fell out of his chair laughing. Her expression was kind of funny... though she was the second person to say I was cute...

"Oh, oh, oh mein gott that was hilarious! Kesesesesesesesese! Oh, ow ow mein awesome stomache hurts, owwwww Birdie help meee kesesesese!"

"Stop l-laughing or I'll never make p-pancakes again"

I was tackled to the bed and pinned to it. Gil was looking down at me with a devilish smirk.

"You wouldn't dare"

"Y-you stopped laughing, so you're right"

"...You are an awesome genius"

"C-can the awesome genius g-get up and get dressed now?"

Gil got off me and I sat up. He threw a shirt at me and I put it on. It was a red button-up, to go with the black jeans I was wearing. I got socks from my drawer and put them on. I walked to the bathroom and saw that my hair wasn't as big of a mess as usual. I ran a brush through it anyways and fixed the left side of my head. I looked myself over and nodded. I was pretty sure this wasn't my shirt, but oh well. I walked back out and Gil was just zipping up his pants. He turned and smirked... though I think there was a slight blush on his face. He quickly got dressed and we walked upstairs. The dogs had apparently grown tired of waiting for us, because all ten puppies, their fathers and Kuma were waiting by the door. The albino went into the puppy room and came back with leashes. He had the bigger dogs on double leashes, and apparently had two custom-made leashes for the puppies. I didn't think you could buy a quintuple leash at the pet store.

"Alright, we're just going for a short walk this time because Francine is coming over and knowing her she'll be early. By the way... try not to be weirded out if she hugs you or kisses your cheeks, it's just something she does"

"O-okay... did she at least b-believe you when you said my sexuality?"

"Ja, why wouldn't she?"

"Ah... p-past experiences"

"People didn't believe you when you came out to them?"

"Oui..."

"Your past is filled with unawesomeness, Birdie. The only thing awesome about it is you and your violin playing. So... uh, I'll take the puppies, you can have the dads and Kuma. Just remember to double-bag Berlitz's shit or it's gonna fall out of the bag and that's not pretty. You should probably go get your red sweater, ja?"

I ran down and came back up while putting it on. I took the two leashes and the older dogs looked at me with seemingly happy expressions. I patted each of them on the head and followed Gil out the door. I guess it'd snowed while we were asleep, because now it came up to my calf.

"Shit... fuuck I didn't want to have to do this... back in the house. We have to put booties and coats on the puppies"

We went back in the house and to the dog room. Gil opened the closet and threw the little boots and coats over his shoulder. I picked them up and the puppies looked at me with their heads cocked to the side. I picked up one of Blackie's puppies and put the boots on it, then figured out how to put the coat on it. I set it down and it was walking funny, like it wanted them off. I laughed and Gil turned around. He saw the little one doing the walking thing and he chuckled too. I got all the puppies outfitted and smiled.

"Awww, Gil th-they're so adorable! A-are we ready to go now?"

"Ja, let's go... just let me text Francine"

He did that and we walked out the door. Now that the puppies were warm and their paws wouldn't freeze, they were free to explore. The Prussian handed me about ten little black bags and I put them in my pocket. Aster and Kuma seemed to get along just fine. They were intentionally kicking up the snow when they walked through it, whereas Blackie and Berlitz generally tried to stay out of the cold, white stuff. Of course, the puppies loved it. They tumbled and rolled in the snow, barking at one another and wagging their tails. We walked down several streets that I now knew, and walked back through the park behind the shoe store. When we got in the door, every single dog shook off the snow on them and the puppies tried to run, but they were still on their leashes. Gil got all their outfits off and the little ones ran around before their fathers herded them into the puppy room. Gil and I went to feed them. I was just finishing putting food in Kuma's dish when there was a knock on the door.

"That must be Francine. Birdie, you stay here and finish feeding them. Come out when you're done, and be prepared"

"Are our t-teeth and ambitions bared?"

"A better question is why are you quoting the Lion King, kesese!"

Gil walked out and I finished putting food in everyone's dishes. The puppies ran over and licked me a little before eating. Figuring they would be fine without me there, I took off my sweater and left the room. I threw the article of clothing to the basement before shyly walking into the living room. Francine gasped and ran over, pinching my cheeks.

"Awww, he is so cute! Gilbert, how long has he been living here?"

"More than a week... and you should probably let go"

"Pourquoi?"

She turned to see the look that Gil was giving her. She gave a knowing chuckle and released my cheeks, then walked over and sat beside Gil on the couch. Seeing that there wasn't room there, I decided I would just sit on the floor.

"So... have you had a boyfriend yet, Matthieu?"

"N-non"

"Oh, pourquoi? It can't be that no one has been interested in you, can it?"

"O-oui, it is... m-my hometown i-is kind of... u-um, really homophobic..."

"Oh, that is too bad. If I were a guy, I would ask you out in a heartbeat! So, is there anyone you're interested in?"

I blushed furiously at this question and was thankful that it was the only answer the Frenchwoman needed. Gil quirked an eyebrow, but his friend said something to him I didn't catch. He just shook his head and answered. Francine looked at me with a small smile.

"As, je suis desole for embarassing you, fleur... it is just the way I am~"

"Ja, an embarasssment, kesesese!"

"Oh! That was not nice, you big meany pants! Take it back!"

They started a slappy-fight and I smiled. Then I smirked. I sneakily moved closer and started tickling Gil.

"KESESESESESESESES TH-THIS ISN'T FAIR, KESESE! T-TWO FRENCHIES AGAINST ONE PRUSSIA-KESESESESESE PRUSSIAN!"

Both Francine and I smirked and tickled Gil. I held his legs down while his best friend tickled him. If this event was anything to go by, the rest of the day was sure to be fun!


	13. They Probably Won't Let us Back

We stopped after about ten minutes, but only because we were worried we'd see a wet spot on Gil's pants. He just layed on the couch, trying to catch his breath. He looked at us with a weird smile.

"You Frenchies are evil... you know that?"

"Non, we just enjoy torturing you! Honhonhonhon!"

"Okay, Francine you are more evil"

"Really? What about your petit ami? Was he not the one who held down your legs?"

"...You're conflicting the awesome me!"

With a laugh from Francine we got off the couch and resumed sitting on the floor. Gil sat up and looked at us as if deciding something. Finally, he grinned.

"So.. we have to wash the dogs... and Francey-pants is wearing white..."

"You are a pervert... but oui, let's go wash them!"

I blushed like crazy and followed them. Though luckily, Francine had a shirt under the white one. That was a big relief. We got to the puppy room and Gil got out a big metal tub and a large-ish bucket. He filled both with soapy water and the dogs walked over with their heads down. They really didn't want to have a bath. Well... Kuma jumped right in, splashing only me with water. I laughed and splashed him with water back. Gil chuckled at me and handed me a cloth. My... old family and I had owned a dog once (A long time ago), and I was the only one to wash it so I knew what to do. in a few minutes, Kuma was wrapped in a towel, sitting on the floor. Blackie jumped in after. I looked over to see that the albino and the Frenchwoman were working on the squirming puppies. It took about an hour and a half to get everyone clean (one of the puppies ran out of the room and we had to hunt it down). We dried the dogs off and looked at them. they were all so shiny and fluffy... I-I wanted to hug them.

"Awesome! We got everything done!"

"But Gilbo, aren't you usually supposed to clean the house when you wash the dogs?"

"Nein, it's crossed off the list"

"...Mhm. Okay, so.. what shall we do, since I came all this way from mon maison?"

"Hm... how's your bowling arm, Birdie?"

I chuckled. I hadn't gone bowling in forever, so this was sure to be... interesting.

"U-um... probably n-not great..."

"Kesese, that's okay. We'll get a lane with bumpers!"

"Gilbo, do you not think that is a little unfair? After all, I am sure you won't be much better. You were always the 'Bad' in our Bad Friends Bowlers team"

"Hey! At least I didn't hit on the other team's captain on my turn!"

"What!? He was... trés, trés beau... but I wasn't the one who created that hole in the roof!"

"I got unawesomely startled, okay?!"

"Oui. By the other team yelling at you to hurry up"

"Ja? Well at least I didn't get so shitfaces I tried to woo a bowling ball into coming home with me!"

"Oui. But you remember that pretty life-sized cardboard cut-out of the Rock? And how you tried to grab it's ass, only to discover it had no ass and freak out to the poor shoe boy?"

At that point I couldn't take it anymore. I rolled on the floor, laughing at their... adventures at the bowling alley. I think they kept arguing while I was laughing, but I only caught little tidbits of it. Such as Gil trying to climb into a lady's purse as a hiding spot. Or Francine, Gilbert and a person named Antonio being so drunk they thought the lanes were something they could slide on like ice. it worked, I guess... but I heard the word hospital after that so the lane must have gotten it's revenge.

"G-guys! Guys, s-stop it, m-my sides h-hurt!"

"Kesese! Awesome revenge! And we didn't have to touch you, kesesese!"

I sat up and finally stopped laughing. Kuma jumped in my lap and started licking my face. I looked at the two with a smile.

"So... h-how is it you haven't been banned from th-this bowling place?"

"Hehe... Luddy's paying the fines. But anyways! Let's go!"

I got Kuma off me and told him to be good while we were gone. I went downstairs and put the money from the violin case in my pocket and changed my shirt. It was soaked. I picked up my sweater on the way up and put it on as I continued up the stairs. Gil and Francine already had their shoes on and were waiting for me. I quickly put mine on and we stepped outside. Gil locked the door. It actually wasn't that far of a walk from the house to the bowling alley, much to my surprise. But then again, I hadn't explored the town except for when I was with Gil anyways. We entered the place and the workers eyed us wearily, but didn't stop our entrance. We got our lane and our shoes, then picked the bowling balls we were going to use.

"Okay, I brought enough for I don't know how many games, plus a few beers"

"How many is a few? I do not think we want a repeat of our misadventures while Matthieu is here..."

"Oh, ja. But you know it takes an awesome amount of beers to get the awesome me even buzzed, so I don't think there's an unawesome issue. I'll go first!"

Gil put in who was going in what order. His name on the screen was 'Awesome', Francine's was 'Franny' and of course mine was Birdie. I should mention that we did not get a lane with bumpers... and Gil got a gutterball on his first shot. He tried again and hit one pin... at least he tried. Francine did well; she got a spare. But she wasn't there to see it.. she blindly threw her ball and went to go talk with a man that had just walked in. I ...guess he was attractive... UM! F-forget I said that... m-maple...

"Birdie, you takin' your shot?"

"O-oh... oui, but y-you may want to back up in c-case I throw it backwards"

Gil smirked and sat in one of the seats. I lined up and took my shot... and got a strike...

"Birdie! I thought you said you weren't good!"

"U-um... I thought I wasn't..."

"Well, you are apparently good. Good, or awesomely lucky"

I smiled and sat down to watch Gil take his shot. This time he did better, but he still didn't get all the pins. He yelled for Francine to come take her shot, and she did so quickly. But still got a strike. This pattern continued on for a while, with Gil... sort of... getting frustrated in the middle of our series of games and getting himself a beer. He asked if I wanted any, but... I get drunk _far_ too easily. He just chuckled and took another sip of his drink. Francine came running over, laughing and out of breath. There were lipstick marks all over her face... I didn't want to know.

"Keseseseses, looks like someone's been busy"

"O-oui! And I... ahah... kind of pissed off her boyfriend and he's coming now so we should run"

Gil laughed and grabbed my hand as we sprinted out of there. There was a big, brawny man chasing after us for a little, but I guess he lost interest because he turned around and went back to the bowling alley. We slowed down into a walk and leaned against a brick wall to catch our breath. Gil smirked at his friend and gave my hand a little squeeze before letting go.

"Damnit Franny, I forgot my beer in there!"

"Well, I appologise but I did not feel like getting pummeled into the ground... though, I probably got more action than he does. That is why he was so upset!"

"Kesesesesese! Either that or he didn't know she was bi"

"Honhonhon, neither did I!"

"Really?! You just went in there without a plan?!"

"Oui... it turned out bon pour moi, oui?"

"Ja, except we almost got beat up!"

The brunette just waved her hand, like she didn't care. We were all still trying to catch our breath. I was also... maybe blushing a little from Gil holding my hand while his friend was there. I looked at him and noticed something.

"G-Gil, your coat's still in there"

"Ah, shit. Birdie, is my wallet in my back pocket?"

He smirked and turned around so I could look. I seriously hoped the red on my face could be passed off as from the cold. It was there, much to both of our relief.

"I-it's there"

"Good. Hang on to it while I go in and get my coat... and my beer"

"A-are you sure it's safe?"

"Nein, but the awesome me is not leaving without at least my beer"

"B-beer over safety..."

"Kesesese!"

Gil smirked and walked back toward the bowling alley, after handing me his wallet. I leaned against the wall, with the item safe in my pocket. I felt eyes on me, but I didn't look to meet them. I was... a little worried. the guy who'd chased us was pretty muscley.. and Gil wasn't exactly a body builder. What if he caught Gil and tried to hurt him? I didn't have anything to use as a weapon, and if he got cut or something... gah. I was overthinking things. Gil would be fine, right?...Right? Francine put her hand on my shoulder, forcing me to look into her purple eyes.

"Mon ami, Gilbert will be fine... you do not have to worry. And you must be very cold, your face is bright red"

"o-oh... um, oui I-I am a little cold... and I-I hope so"

"Trust me, as long as he doesn't do anything stupid- FUCK! GILBEEERT!"

The albino came sprinting back with his coat and the guy chasing him again. However, as soon as the guy saw Francine, he started running toward us. The Frenchwoman grabbed my shirt and we ran with Gil and the man on our heels. Knowing it was probably a stupid idea, I slowed down a little to let Gil pass me. he grabbed my hand as he ran past me and pulled me up with him. We ran for quite a few blocks and got lots of stares before the guy finally gave up. With a final threat, he lumbered back down the street. We didn't stop running until he was out of sight. Then Gil just plopped down in the snow and tried to get his breath.

"D-damn, Franny.. y-you really pissed him off, huh?"

"Oui, I guess so... oops"

"Gil... w-why did he chase after you?"

"I guess he was still really pissed, because as soon as I grabbed my coat from him he chased after me"

"H-he had your coat?"

"Ja, and he was saying something about the awesome me being a pussy for running. So, I gave him a black ey-"

"GIL!"

"What? He was unawesome and totally deserved it. Anyways, the awesome me is hungry so let's find somewhere to eat"

I helped Gil up and he leaned against me for a few steps, before finally he was able to walk on his own. He had been running longer than Francine and I. He probably hadn't recovered from our first run anyways. We walked toward a restaurant that had Italian writing on the sign. I could read some of it, and what I got from it was it was a pasta place.

"Oh, this place is awesome! Feli's bruder owns it, but he's probably in America for the Vargas Family Reunion... wait, why didn't Antonio go?"

"His job at the factory prevented him from going... he was so disappointed"

"Ah... oh, Birdie you still got my wallet?"

I searched in my pocket and found it. Gil took it from me with a smile and we walked in the store. A tall Italian man greeted us in his native language and in German. Gilbert said some things in German back and the man rushed behind the counter. He punched a few numbers in the register and Gil handed over some cash. We sat down in a booth and the Prussian smirked.

"I got us beer, red wine and strawberry wine, kesesese! Oh, and the biggest plate of spaghetti and meatballs they have"

"G-good... I-I think we're all hungry from the running"

"Ja! The awesome me thinks I've lost a few pounds because of that, keseseses!"

"O-or gained some in muscle"

"Hm... that too- oh shit. I gotta go to the little Prussian's room, be right back!"

With that the albino got up and went down a hallway. That left Francine and I. A waiter brought our drinks out to us. We thanked him and took a sip. I relaxed as soon as I had the liquid going down my throat. It had been a pretty full day... and tomorrow was going to be exciting too. Just hopefully with less chases. Francine looked at me with a small smirk.

"So... how long has it been since you started liking him?"

"W-what?!"

WHAT!? HOW COULD SHE POSSIBLY KNOW!?

"Matthieu, please do not play stupid. I know you have a crush on him"

"H-how... did y-you..."

"I am french, and an expert in l'amour. Plus, it is kind of blatantly obvious"

"O-oh maple... h-has Gil noticed...?"

"Non... he is, er... somewhat oblivious to when someone has a crush on him. It's just one of the walls he subconsciously built. But, I do believe he is showing interest in you"

"R-really?"

"Oui! I have never heard of him calling anyone his 'cuddle buddy'"

"Hah..."

"And the hand holding. That is also rather big. Anything else?"

"U-um...he d-did call me cute"

"There is a very good chance he likes you. And judging from his actio-"

"AWESOMENESS IS BACK!"

Gil made me jump, though none of my wine was spilled... somehow. He slid into the seat beside me and opened his beer. He drank some and sighed in happiness.

"So, what were you guys talking about?"

"U-um..."


	14. She is an Evil Mastermind

Francine and I both looked at each other in panic. We glanced at Gil and he smirked while taking another drink.

"Hm... is it a Frenchie thing?"

We both breathed sighs of relief and nodded. I took a sip of wine and immediately relaxed. Gil was most likely not going to press us... at least not in the restaurant. I looked over at Francine and she looked like she was thinking about something. She swished around her drink, when suddenly she sat up and smirked. Her eyes were a darker blue than normal. She looked at me and Gil. Something told me there was a plan being hatched at that moment. But luckily for me, our food finally came. The plate of pasta was almost as big as the table and had I don't know how many meatballs. There were three forks around the plate. The waiter smiled at us and said something close to bon appetite and left. Gil picked up his fork first and dug in. I smiled at him and also picked up my fork, choosing to eat from the same side as him. Francine watched us for a little, before finally picking up her fork.

"So, Matthieu. You mentioned that you lived on the street?"

Gil immediately looked at me, judging my reaction to the question. I nodded, though the girl in front of us couldn't see.

"O-oui, I did... f-for five years"

"Oh? How did you live for that long, did you have any help?"

"Um... I-I had a little help in the beginning, but... that's it. A-and I played violin..."

"What songs?"

"A-anything that was popular at th-the time, or s-sometimes I did mashups of different songs"

"How did you learn? Just by ear?"

"O-oui"

"Really? How many times did it take to get the song right?"

"Hm... d-depends. In th-the beginning, it took me a little before I could find the first note, b-but now I can listen to a song a-and play it right after"

"Wow. You are talented, Matthieu! Have you thought about getting a Youtube account?"

"Actually, he already has one. The awesome us made it and his first video's got 50 views so far!"

"That... is amazing. I must hear you play sometime!"

I nodded and we continued eating. We somehow managed to finish the entire plate... I didn't think I would be able to walk for a few weeks. I looked over at Gil and he was smiling, then smirking.

"You got some sauce on your face, Birdie"

He licked his thumb and wiped it off my face. I could feel my cheeks going hot and red. They probably matched the pasta sauce, actually. Gil chuckled and chugged the rest of his beer. Francine smirked at us, making it clear she had a plan. We stood up and... somehow managed to walk out of there, thanking the people. We walked carefully because the sidewalk was icey (as it was still winter) and falling over would not be good. We walked in the house and after getting his coat and shoes off, Gil just flopped on the floor in front of the couch.

"The awesome me is tired... Francine, you staying over?"

"Ah, oui. I think Antonio will be fine. Besides, he surely won't miss me that much, oui?"

"Nein, I don't think so. He should be up, so you should probably text him"

"Oui. Ah, Matthieu, how about we go downstairs and find some pajamas for me?"

I nodded and we went downstairs. I think Gil dragged himself up and went to the puppy room. There was lots of barking and a loud _bang!_ which must have meant that Gil was tackled to the floor. Once Francine and I were downstairs, she sat on the bed and patted the spot beside her. Confused, I sat down. She smiled, but... there was something... different about it.

"Okay. Matthieu. You want Gilbert, oui?"

"...D-didn't we already establish this at th-the restaurant?"

"Oui. But I want to hear you say it"

"Um... I-I want Gil?"

"Non! You have to be sure!"

"I-I want Gil"

"Better! Now, since you said that I am going to help you get him"

"W-what?! But what if he doesn't like me and is weirded out by m-me liking him?! I don't want to h-have to-"

"Matthieu! Calm down, there is no danger. I have been friends with Gilbert for some time now, and I can tell when he is in love. Because he's only actually been in love once, and that... that was an interesting time for Gilbert, Antonio and myself. It involved a lot of beer, I can tell you that"

"...Y-you're positive?"

"I am almost sure of it. So just let me work my magic, oui?"

"...F-fine"

She clapped and we went back upstairs. I still wasn't sure that this was going to be a good idea, but it appeared I didn't have much of a choice. We walked into the living room to wait for Gil. He came in a few minutes later and smiled at me. I think.

"So, what do you guys want to do?"

"Hm... first, I would like to hear Matthieu play"

I nodded and went back downstairs to get the violin. it was in it's case, sitting on the desk. I first took out the picture of Maman and smiled. I put it back and grabbed my violin and the bow, closing the case and running back upstairs. I walked in the room and smiled.

"Any r-requests?"

Francine thought for a little before smirking.

"Hm... how about... A Thousand Years?"

I smiled and started playing. My purple eyes closed and I moved with the song. I managed to avoid the dogs and puppies when they walked in. It appeared that my audience grew by about fourteen. I did draw the song out longer than it actually was, but only because I was enjoying playing it so much. When I finally finished, I got a round of applause. I put the violin on the coffee table and sat on the floor. The dogs all came and sat in front of me. I scratched each one on the head before looking at the two on the couch. Francine smiled and... I think she had a tear in her eye.

"Matthieu... that was beautiful! You really do have a gift"

"Hah, m-merci beaucoup! D-do you play an instrument?"

"Oui, I play a little guitar. Not as much as Gilbert, though. Has he shown you?"

"O-oui"

Francine smirked at the albino and his face suddenly matched his eyes. Huh... She looked back at me with a smile that screamed fake innocence.

"So, how about we all play a board game?"

Gil nodded and smiled, forgetting his previous discomfort. He went upstairs and brought some down, setting them in front of me. There was Clue, Monopoly and Twister. I immediately ruled out Twister, because it just wasn't the same without Feli and Ludwig. I looked at the remaining two choices, trying to decide. Eventually I just opened the box to Clue and got out the board, silently making my decision. The two on the couch came down to the floor and we chose our players. Francine chose to be Scarlet. I chose Mustard and Gil chose Plum. We started the game.

"Hm... Birdie, I think it was White in the observatory with the... dumbell"

I had... all three cards, actually. I showed him the one with the dumbell and he frowned.

"F-Francine, I think it was White w-with the trophy i-in the observatory"

"I have none of those cards"

"I-interesting..."

"Ja, interesting... kesesese!"

The game continued on for about forty five minutes before I finally got it.

"I-I think it was Peacock in the g-guest room with the trophy!"

We checked the cards and it turned out that I won! Gil gave me a hug as a reward and I smiled. But so did Francine, and not the same smile Gil was giving me. I figured she was going to put her 'plan' to action. There were butterflies in my stomach as she walked over.

"Gilbert, how about we play video games, hm? Matthieu, you stay up here"

Gil nodded and followed her downstairs. I cleaned everything up and went to the kitchen to sit down. I thought I heard two sets of footsteps coming back up the stairs, but only the Frenchwoman rounded the corner and came in the kitchen.

"Oka, before I put my plan into action, I need to know some things"

"O-okay, like what?"

"Why exactly are you afraid of telling our dear ami your feelings for him?"

I threaded my fingers together and twidled my thumbs while I answered.

"W-well... I g-guess... it's just the fear of rejection... I mean, G-Gil's been nothing but... well, awesome e-ever since we met, and... he doesn't seem to care th-that I come from almost an entirely d-different world than him. I-I don't want to ruin the friendship a-and... family I have here"

"So, you feel that not only your heart, but your living here is at stake?"

"O-oui... maybe I'm just over worrying a-about this..."

"Non, I can see where you are coming from. So... when did you realise your feelings for Gilbert?"

"U-um... well, I was in the shower when i-it hit me, actually... a-and I went to the roof to th-think about that and try to sort everything out... I-I think I liked Gil f-from the second day h-here, but... it's been so long since I was i-in love.. and it turned out b-badly..."

"Oh?"

"I.. Th-the rejection wasn't... very gentle a-at all"

"And that is where your fear comes from, oui?"

"O-oui"

"Hm... now, why do you like Gilbert?"

"L-like I said, he's b-been really nice to me, and... th-the cuddling may have something to do with it... I-I've never been cuddled with before"

"...Ever?"

"Non"

"...Well... erm, then I am glad Gil was your first...?"

I laughed at her face and her obviously awkward speech. It was pretty sad, but the way she avoided saying that was funny. She made another face that made me giggle and looked at me again.

"What has he told about his past?"

"Um... w-well, he probably left out some d-details, but... almost everything"

"Wow... so. Now that we kno- I have asked you all that, there is one thing left. What exactly are your feelings toward our friend?"

I stayed silent for a few moments, discussing with myself exactly _how_ much I liked Gil. Maybe... maybe it was more than like, actually. I took a deep breath as I looked her in the eye and said it.

"I love G-Gil"

Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. The blood drained from my face, because there was only one person that could possibly be.

"Birdie... could you stand up for a second? The awesome me has something to say to the completely awesome you"

I slowly stood up and turned around, scared of what Gil might have to say to me. Was it the rejection I was expecting? Would I not even be let down easy? Would... would I have to leave? I avoided looking at his eyes, just in case. But... I felt surprisingly soft (and chapped) lips press against mine. Arms wrapped themselves around my waist and after standing there for a few seconds, I finally remembered that I should probably kiss back. I closed my eyes and did that, wrapping my arms around Gil's shoulders and letting him pull me closer. When we finally pulled back I got the most sincere smile I've ever seen.

"Birdie... the awesome me loves you too"

...The kiss probably should have told me that. But that didn't stop me from being shocked. Again.

"Y-you do?"

"Ja! Off course I do, vogel. You're the most adorable thing the awesome me has ever seen"

"E-even more adorable th-than the puppies?"

"I think they could take cute lessons from you, Mattie"

He winked when he said that, making me blush more than I already was. Francine tapped me on the shoulder and she was smirking.

"See? I told you there was no danger, Mat"

"Non, y-you said there was a good chance he liked me back"

"...Same thing. Anyways, I checked the list and your first customers are coming over at about twelve tomorrow. And it is one in the morning now, so going to sleep would probably be a good idea, oui?"

"W-where are we going to sleep?"

"There is a mattress under Gilbert's bed I can sleep on. And as long as you two don't go bump in the night, everything will be fine"

I hid my face in Gil's neck at the meaning of Francine's last sentence. I think Gil glared at her, because I heard her laugh. The albino kissed the top of my head and we walked downstairs. Francine pulled out the mattress from under the bed, got herself a pillow and a blanket and said goodnight. I crawled under the covers and smiled at Gil. It blew my mind that he actually loved me... but I was glad he did. He kinda flopped on the bed and smirked.

"So... the awesome us are dating now"

"O-oui"

He chuckled and held me close to his chest I kissed it before getting ready to sleep.

"I wonder what bruder and Feli are going to say? I bet they'll think it's awesome, kesesese!"

"Or that they saw it coming. Now shush, I am trying to sleep"

We smiled and held each other tight, letting a deep and peaceful sleep wash over us. Tomorrow promised to be... interesting. But Gil would be there so I had nothing to worry about.


	15. Faintings and Laughing Fits

When I woke up, for some reason I was on the couch... _in the exact same position as yesterday_. Or.. maybe... it was just a dream? Yeah, maybe I was just dreaming... aw, maple! Groaning I tried to roll on my back, but something was behind me. I turned my head and saw Gil, with his arm around me and his chin now on my shoulder. He smiled at me and kissed my cheek. The blood rushed to my face. I still wasn't sure if it was a dream or not... I really hoped not. There were sounds in the kitchen and the smell of something delicious wafted into the room. My eyes shut as I smiled and rested my head back on my arm.

"You awake enough to talk now, liebling?"

"Mrar. W-what smells so good?"

"Francine's cooking"

"O-oh... um... G-Gil?"

"Ja Birdie?"

"F-forgive me if this question is stupid, but...w-was last night a d-dream...?"

"Hm... depends on what happened. If you're talking about Francine awesomely tricking you into admitting you love me, then that was real. And very awesome"

I immediately turned and hugged Gil. His arms wrapped around me tight and I could feel his smile on the top of my head. I placed a soft kiss on his collarbone and nuzzled the spot. We stayed like that, just giving each other random kisses, until Francine walked in. Then walked out, biting her fist. I looked up at Gil and he rolled his eyes.

"She thinks we're awesomely adorable"

"O-oh... um... is sh-she wrong?"

"Nein, but she tends to squeal whenever she sees a couple like this. I swear it's the French in her"

"Oui, but like you said, you guys are adorable! Now get in here if you wish to eat"

Gil and I ran in there and sat at the table before she had finished speaking. She rolled her eyes and served crepes. They were so... so yummy.. we, ah, kind of made her make more. But she was fine with it. After breakfast, I looked at the clock. We had roughly ten minutes left to get everything ready. I alerted the other two to this and we sprang into action. Francine went to the puppy room to make sure everything was okay with the puppies and checked the paperwork stuff while Gil and I got dressed. We wore nice long-sleeve shirts with dark jeans. I ran to the bathroom and brushed my hair, but it wouldn't stay down.

"G-Gil, do you have a ribbon or something?"

"Why?"

"I-I need to put my hair back.. it's not cooperating"

I was handed a blue ribbon and I quickly tied my hair in it, letting a few strands of it stay out of the bow. Everything looked fine to me, so I walked out of the bathroom. The albino smirked and wrapped his rams around my waist, pulling me in close. His smirk softened into a smile as he leaned down and kissed me. My arms immediately went around his shoulders and I think we kissed for two minutes (with interruptions for breath), but someone was knocking on the door. We hugged one last time and walked upstairs. I went into the puppy room to wait for Gil and the family. I heard them before they came in.

"Like, Tory! We should totally get a big, strong German Shepherd! It would be wickedly cool to go up to people and have a dog that, like, could guard us so we can say, like, that we're untouchable!"

"Oh, um.. yeah, that does sound nice... but what about a Golden Retriever?"

"Oh, right! They're, like, so pretty! And cuddly and... Tory? Can we get two?"

"We only have enough for one, Feliks"

"Oh, ya I knew that!"

The three stepped in the door and... well, one of them was wearing a skirt with a brown sweater. I gave them all a warm smile. The Prussian winked at me and my face heated up. The one in the skirt caught it, apparently.

"Like, you two are so dating"

"Ja, we are. So... here are the puppies"

Gil said something in german and all the puppies woke up and started wagging their tails. The one with the skirt dropped to his knees and was immediately overcome by the cuteness of the puppies.

"Omg Tory! Look at this one! It's, like, got a little spot on it's back that looks like a heart!"

"Really? What breed is that one?"

"She's a Dobermann"

"TORYYYYYYYYYYYYY LETS GET THIS ONE!"

"Um, Feliks please don't yell... and... maybe we should spend some time with the others too, right?"

"Fine. But my heart is set on this little girl! Look, she is so cute... and I think she likes me!"

"I-I think so too... um... w-would you like to meet the dad?"

"Like, yes!"

I called over Berlitz and he wagged his tail while walking. Feliks held the puppy in his arm while he pet the dog. Tory... I guess... also pet the Dobermann.

"Wow, he is really well-tempered"

"Ja, all our dogs are like that. They also make awesome guard dogs, if the need ever comes up"

"Toris. We are getting this sweet little girl and I don't care what you say!"

"Actually... I think we should get her"

"...For real?"

"Yes. I think she's going to be an amazing dog"

The one in the skirt stood up and kissed the brunette on the cheek. Said brunette's face got red, but he was smiling. The puppy was handed to Toris so he could get used to holding her.

"Awesome! So, come with me to do the paperwork and sheisse and you'll have your new puppy"

"Like, Tory. I think I'm going to faint, bro!"

"Oh no, please, don't do that... we're going to have to carry you to the ca-"

_Thump!_

"...Does th-that happen a lot?"

"Um... only when he gets really excited... He'll wake up in about five minutes"

"Uh... you may want to get him checked, ja? Anyways, let's go do the paperwork. You wanna bring her with you?"

Toris nodded and shifted the puppy in his arms. Her tail was wagging so fast it was a blur. Once they were out of the room, I looked at Feliks... who was still fainted. Aster sniffed him and looked at me, as if to say 'What the heck?'.

"I-I don't know, Aster... um... h-he'll wake up soon, probably..."

Aster walked over to me and set his head on my lap. I pet him and scratched behind his ear, which was apparently his kick spot. He almost kicked Feliks, but I moved him at the last second. A few minutes later, the blond came too.

"Like... what happened..."

"U-um, you fainted"

"Oh, that is, like, totally not cool! Is Rose ours?"

"Sh-she will be soon, T-Toris is just doing the paperwork at the moment"

"Oh, okay. So, how long have you and Gilbert been dating?"

I blushed at the personal question, but answered anyways.

"S-since one this morning..."

"Really?! Wow... I would have guessed a week or two. You guys are ahead of the game!"

"Ahah, th-thank you... a-are you and Toris d-dating?"

"Like, ya! We've been dating since we were in highschool, which was, like, five years ago"

Gil and Toris came back from doing the paperwork with big smiles. Feliks jumped up and took the puppy out of his partner's arms.

"Can we name her-"

"Rose? Yes, that's what's on the sheet"

"We are going out for icecream after this! Thank you so much, guys!"

The two left, looking very, very happy. Gil and I smiled and hugged. He sat beside me on the couch and pulled me into his lap. I snuggled into his neck and kissed it.

"Th-that was... interesting"

"Ja, it was. I think that's the first time anyone's fainted, kesesese!"

"Hah... when's th-the next family coming?"

"Um... right now"

There was a nother knock on the door, but Francine must have gotten it. Gil stood up and I remained seated. There was a family of five, and they had enough in their budget for two puppies. They got the last Dobermann and a Golden Retriever. Two other families came and also got two, so we were down to five puppies. After they got their puppies, we took a little break. Francine had to leave though, because apparently Antonio was having a breakdown. And judging from the worry written on her face, it was serious.

"W-will you come back sometime?"

"Oui, of course! I must check up on you two, oui? Au revoir!"

"See ya, Franny!"

"A-and merci"

She smiled and walked out the door. The next family was coming at seven, and the last one would be here at about nine. So we had some time to kill. We changed out of our 'work' clothes and into something more comfy. I tried to take the ribbon out of my hair, but Gil stopped me.

"Birdie, don't take it out! You look hot with your hair up"

That was all the convincing I needed. We played video games for about two hours, then made supper. We walked in the living room with our ham sandwiches. Gil sat kind of in the corner of the couch and opened his legs for me to sit between. I did that and he wrapped an arm around me, then turned on the TV. We ate while watching Spongebob and doing... really bad impressions of the characters. Gil tried to imitate Sandy, but his voice cracked so he sounded like a grandmother that had something stuck in her throat. I tried Squidward's voice but I couldn't get the right sound and it ended up being really off. Gil was laughing so hard he almost spit out his food! After that was done, I went out to the kitchen and washed the dishes. The Prussian hugged me from behind and watched me work. He kissed behind my ear and laughed a little as I practically melted on the spot.

''Don't drop the plate, liebling. Bruder's gonna kill me if you do, kesese!"

"W-well... um.. i-if I do drop it we can go out and get another one?"

"Hm.. maybe, but the awesome me is gonna be busy seeing if I can actually make you drop the plate"

"..R-really"

"Ja, really! Kesesese, you're so cute"

Cue the massive blush and smile from me. I really didn't see exactly _how_ I was cute, but... well, he must have seen something in me, right? Otherwise we wouldn't be dating. The albino continued kissing behind my ear. Gil's lips travelled down to my neck, where he immediately found a sensitive spot. I gasped a little and finally finished washing the plate.

"Damn... mission failed"

"O-oui... I'm not washing the dishes anymore"

"Aww! That's not awesome, mein vogel"

There was a knock on the door and we looked at the clock. The people were right on time; we had just lost track of it. As we were both in jeans and sweaters, we deemed it appropriate and just went to open the door. The family walked in and picked their puppy rather quickly. The wanted a Golden Retriever, and found exactly what they were looking for. The last family called and cancelled, saying they had picked one up from the street. That freed up the rest of the night for Gil and I. The Prussian leaned against the counter of the kitchen and smirked.

"We should do a Let's Play"

"O-of what?"

"Ju-On... I promised someone I'd do it. So, you can be camera-Birdie!"

"S-sounds bon... t-try not to throw the controller this time, though"

"Psh. I'm too awesome to do that again!"

"She's beh-hind you"

"Fuck WHERE-... let's go downstairs now"

Gil just smirked and carried me down there. He kind of threw me on the bed and tickled me briefly before getting his camera stuff set up. Once he got that done, he hit play and pointed the camera at himself.

"Kesese, hallo all my awesomelings! Ah, sorry for not awesomely updating in a while, but I've been kind of busy with this guy!"

He turned the camera to face me.

"Say hallo Birdie!"

"Um.. b-bonjour...?"

"Kesese! Anyways, I'm going to be playing Ju-On because I promised MisakixX12356 that I would. So, I hope you like!"

Gil gave the camera to me and I stood up while he sat down and got the game going.

"Okay... I should put a warning for girly screams..."

He started walking in the game and went through the first few doors without being scared. But when the black-haired girl started chasing him...

"OH SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK BIRDIE HELP MEEEE SHE- OH MEIN GOTT IS SHE TWISTING HER HEAD- NEINNNN DON'T DO THE CRAWLING THING YOU STUPID BITCH! YOU ARE UNAWESOMER THAN BRUDER OH MEIN GOTT- AAAAAAAAGH! FUCK WHERE DID YOU COME FROM OH MEIN GOTT THERE'S TWO OF YOU DAMNED- NAAAAAAAAAAH STAHP IT! SCHVBRUBRARARARARAR BARBARA, WHAT? Where the hell did that come from, kese- SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

He somehow managed to not get caught... through the powers of 'Barbara', as he said. I had to set the camera on the bed before I could fall to the floor laughing.

"O-ow, ow, sides hurt"

"Then stop laughing at the awesome- SHIT! OH MY FUCK, MISAKIXX... NUMBERS NUMBERS YOU BETTER BE DAMNED HAPPY BECAUSE I'M GOING TO PISS MY AWESOME PANTS! Oh... oh, okay. We're good now. Kesese, I'm so awe- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA H!"

The girl popped up right in front of Gil, causing him to throw the remote. Again. I did manage to catch it, but... kind of contorted my body around the bed to get it. Gil's character died, so he decided to just stop playing. He picked up the camera and pointed it at himself.

"Okay. If any of you show this to your friends, put the volume up as loud as you can, kesesesese! Oh, and I'll put a link to Birdie's channel in the description, if any of you like violin music. I will take requests, so comment! Bye!"

He hit the stop button and just flopped on his back.

"That. Was the fucking scariest thing ever"

"Non... th-that was the funniest thing ever. Y-you have to rewatch the footage"

Gil hit the button on the camera and we watched the footage again. Luckily, you could barely hear me laughing over Gil's screaming. Though, I'm certain Gil picked it out. He smiled at me after we were done and kissed me on the cheek.

"We're sleeping upstairs. With the dogs around us"

I just nodded and we changed into pajama pants. We walked upstairs and layed down on the couch, with the dogs on our legs. Gil put the blanket on us and I snuggled into his chest.

"Birdie?"

"Mm?"

"I love you"

"I-I love you too, Gil... g-good night"

"Ja. Goodnight, gorgeous"

He wrapped his arms around me tight, sort of like I was his teddy bear. I smiled against his skin as I drifted off to sleep. it had been... a tiring day, so it was nice to finally get some rest.


	16. A Mummy and a Vampire go to a Party

We were woken up by the phone ringing. Which would have been fine... If it weren't three in the morning. Gil groaned and grabbed the phone, glaring at it so hard I wouldn't be surprised if it caught fire. He looked at the caller ID, got the call and put it on speaker. I snuggled closer to his chest and felt lips on my head.

"Hallo, bruder?"

"Nein, this is the 'It's three in the ficken morning so why are you calling' club, how may we help you with your interrupting sleep issue?"

"...Ve, he's really pissed off!"

"Ja. You woke the awesome Birdie. And the awesome me"

"...Oh. Well, I am calling to check up on you-"

"Gilbo, have you asked out Matteo yet?"

"FELICIANO!"

"N-non, I asked h-him out... technically"

Everything on the other end of the line went dead for a few moments before Feli erupted into a flurry of questions. I only caught a few, but couldn't answer them because he was talking so fast. I just stayed silent and kissed along Gil's collarbone and jawline, only half listening to the Italian. The albino somehow managed to answer some of the questions between kissing my head and mouth. When the rapid fire questions were finished, Ludwig took the phone back from his husband.

"Erm... Congratulations, I guess... anyways, how are the puppie-"

"Bruder. It is three in the morning. Birdie and I are tired. Can we please talk about this later, maybe when the awesome us is awake?"

"...Fine. I will call in six hours, so please pick up. Bye"

Ludwig did not sound happy when he said that. Not to sound mean or anything, but I think neither of us cared at that moment. We were too tired. We kissed and cuddled for a little before finally falling asleep. A few hours later we woke up to the phone ringing time, Gil didn't put it on speaker. He was speaking in German to his brother. I... think I passed out in the middle of their conversation, because when I opened my eyes again Gil wasn't there. I sat up quickly, but got dizzy and had to lay back down. Gil entered the room, wearing a pair of black jeans and a cape. He smirked as soon as he saw me and showed me the fake...vampire teeth... what?

"Kesesese! Birdie! You wanna go on a date today?"

"Th-that sounds bon... b-but what's with the vampire teeth?"

"We're gonna go to the Dead of Winter party!"

"...W-which explains why you are wearing th-th teeth because...?"

"It explains why because it's a costume party! The awesome us is going to dress up and go dance and eat tons of candy and it's gonna be awesome!"

I thought about it. It sounded... interesting, but still fun. I nodded and smiled. Gil ran over, took the teeth out and kissed me quickly before running of again, laughing. He went to the basement and came back up a few minutes later with a big box. He was going to say something else, but suddenly got an idea. He raced upstairs and got a few rolls of white cloth. He started to run somewhere else, but I stopped him.

"Um, G-Gil?"

"Ja?"

"W-when's the party?"

"At seven tonight"

"Th-then do w-we need to rush?"

That slowed the albino down. He though for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nein, I guess we don't have to rush just yet. But we have a free day today, so what are we going to do? And... can the awesome me keep the cape on?"

I rolled my eyes and nodded. He laughed and did the classic cover half your face with the cape thing. He put the rolls on the floor and I picked one up curiously. It looked like it was a bit of an off-white, with a little red on some of it. I looked up at Gil and he sat beside me, wrapping me in his cape.

"That, mein vogel, is what we're going to use to make you into a mummy!"

"Hm.. a-a mummy and a vampire.. I haven't heard that one b-before"

"Ja, you have if you watched the Scooby Doo movie, kesesese! But, eheh... I can't remember much from it 'cause I was awesomely drunk... anyways, we should probably eat, then upload the video! And make a new one for you- fuck it, we'll be awesome around Youtube today!"

"Um, s-sounds good... w-we are watching the video again, o-oui? The one of last night?"

"Ja, of course! We have to to edit it! Hey, Birdie... can you get the pizza pockets from the freezer? We can eat that for breakfast"

"O-okay"

Gil smirked and stood up, his cape flying up a little. With a cackle he ran to the basement, the cape flapping behind him. I smiled and shook my head. I wondered what he was like when it was actually Halloween? He was probably bouncing off the walls... maybe literally, if he dressed up in a sumo costume. I went to the kitchen and made the food, then walked back downstairs with them on a plate. I just made them all, figuring we could go shopping later if necessary. Gil was watching the video and he was laughing. I set the food on the desk and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, oh mein gott I'm hilarious!"

"O-oui, you are... can you hear me laughing i-in the video?"

"Ja, a little. But that's okay. By the way, you set the camera down on the bed kind of rough.. people are going to notice that, kesesese!"

Gil turned back to the video and plugged the camera in. He brought up a program on the computer and uploaded the video there. Then, he began editing. He typed some things in and took out a few things, did some changes to the audio and somehow made his 'Barabara' freakout play, then play again in slowmo. It was even funnier that way, because you could see his face go from terrified to smirking to terrified/amused. You could barely hear me laughing in the background... but Gil made a note of in the beginning of the video anyways. Just in case anyone picked it out. We watched the video again, then finally uploaded it to his channel. I grabbed my violin while he was uploading it and dragged the bow across the strings, checking the tuning. I fixed it a little and it sounded better. I did the first song that came to mind, which was Enchanted by Taylor Swift. I smiled as I played the chorus and mixed it with a little Vanilla Twilight. The songs just seemed to fit together. I then melted the song into a few different others, changing the mood from romantic to sad to happy to loving in about four songs. I ended with I'm Your's by Jason Mraz and looked to see Gil holding the camera, with the red light on. I blushed,but smiled and waved. He hit the button and sat back down.

"Birdie, that was awesome! You gotta hear it, vogel"

He played it back and it _did_ sound pretty. I smiled and barely noticed my fingers doing the same thing on the desk. In my head, I set the neck length and played on that part of the desk. Gil rewatched the video a few times, thinking hard about something.

"Birdie, I don't even know what to call this one... how many songs did you do?"

"U-um.. about six, roughly?"

"...Ja, I'm not writing the titles of all the songs in the title for the video"

"U-um... just call it Pop Mashup?"

"...Ja, that works. I'm not even going to edit this. It doesn't need it. By the way, there's twenty five subscribers now, and your first video got you one hundred twenty five views"

"W-what?! That many a-already?!"

"Ja! The people aren't lying, Birdie. You are an awesome violin player!"

"Huh..."

Gil uploaded that and I pulled up a chair. We watched funny and weird videos for the rest of the day, until it was a half an hour from the ball/party thing. Gil looked at the clock, let us finish the video, then nearly killed the mouse trying to exit Youtube. He grabbed my hand nd we ran upstairs, then back downstairs to get a white shirt and white pants for me. I put them on, and Gil just carried me up the stairs. He set me on my feel in the middle of the floor, and told me to hold out my arms. I did as I was asked and he wrapped me head to toe in the bandages, then got some food colouring and dripped it all over me. Some of it ran down my face, staining it red. But that was okay, it would just add to the effect. I could only see out of one eye, but my mouth was free so I could breathe. No glasses for me tonight then.

Gil led me to a mirror and I looked myself over. He'd done a very good job of wrapping me up. He disappeared for a while, then came back with his silver hair slicked back, had an old fashion suit with a big brooch in it and the cape tied around his neck. He opened his mouth and the fake vampire teeth were gone. Instead, it actually looked like he had fangs. I grunted and did a mummy walk toward him, where he spun me in a circle and dipped down with me on his arms. I looked him over as he was lifting me and nodded.

"Y-your costume looks good, Gil"

"Kesese! I make one sexy vampire!"

I blushed, though he couldn't see it. He was right... but I didn't want to say that out loud. I think he knew from my free eye looking away quickly. He kissed me on the lips, and we pulled back about a minute later. He looked me over again and ran upstairs. Gil came back down with a costume makeup kit and did something with my eye and the skin on my hands not covered by the wrappings.

"There! Now you look like an awesomely real mummy!"

"B-bon! Um.. sh-should we go now?"

"Ja... are you going to be okay just wearing that?"

"P-probably.. a-and how many people are going to this..?"

"The whole 're going to see people walking down the streets in costume just like us"

Sure enough, I looked out the window and saw some people in costume walking down the street. They saw me looking and waved to me. I shyly waved back and got out of the window. Gil wrapped his arms around my midsection and nuzzled the bandages. I turned around in his arms and suddenly remembered something.

"Oh! C-can we make a staff?"

"Ja, we can! Um... Oh! We can use the tube from the Christmas wrapping paper and get some gold paint and make a cobra out of styrofoam and stick it in there and it's going to look awesome! Kesesese!"

Gil quickly pecked me on the forehead then ran off to get the materials we needed. I found some old newspapers and set them up in the middle of the floor where we would be working. I kneeled down just as Gil came back with an armful of stuff. He set the items down on the paper and we set to work. Gil cut out the cobra while I painted the cardboard tube gold and added black around it, to make it look Egypt-y. He handed the cobra to me once I was done painting the tube and I painted the cobra gold also, with red eyes and black on the hood of it. Gil stuck it in the tube and somehow duck taped it in there so it stayed. He quickly ran to the computer downstairs and typed in a few things, then found a page with hieroglyphs. He painted on the hieroglyphs for 'Matthew' and handed the staff to me. I stood up and it was just the right size for me.

"Hm, That looks good, Pharaoh"

"Sh-shouldn't I have a headdress if I'm a pharaoh?"

"...Ja..." Gil then gasped, smirked and jumped to the box he'd brought up earlier. He threw items out of it (I almost got hit with a pitchfork...) until he finally found what he was looking for. It was a headdress from a factory-made costume. He put it on me then led me to a mirror. I smiled and turned back to Gil.

"Y-you did a very good job w-with this costume, Gil"

"Kesese! And you do an awesome job of wearing it! Now, let's get our shoes on and go! It's gonna be awesome, kesese!"

We did that and we were finally out the door. The cold probably should have bothered me, but really it didn't. Gil was holding my free hand, and his hand was pretty warm. We walked down several streets, and saw lots of people walking and in costume. A few were holding hands like Gil and I, which made me smile. Looked like we weren't the only couple going. The albino's face was something between a smile and a smirk as we walked there. I guess he was really happy we were going! I felt a shiver go through him and I abandoned his hand for his waist, wrapping my arms around it. He placed a hand on my hip and squeezed it a little. We walked for about twenty minutes before we finally got to the place. Gil payed at the front and we got in

We walked in the room and looked around. It was decorated with icicle-chandeleirs, white and blue streamers and snowflakes hanging from the walls. There was a few tables with food and a dancefloor. A band was setting up on the stage. Everyone there was in costume. There were a few witches, a werewolf, and one person in a green swamp thing costume. We walked to the food table and got something to eat, because we were both hungry. We hadn't had anything besides pizza pockets today. Gil got a piece gummy worm-cake...thing... and I ate some chips and a 'brain' (egg salad) sandwich. After we were done eating the band started playing. Gil smirked and nearly dragged me onto the dancefloor. We both... really couldn't dance and both of us almost tripped over Gil's cape, but it was fun. When we got tired we got off the dancefloor and went to one of the benches. Gil kissed my cheek and smiled.

"Having fun liebe?"

"O-oui! But your cape i-is kind of...i-in the way"

"Ja, but I'm not a real vampire without it!"

"I-I guess... a-are you enjoying yourself?"

"Ja! That mummy walk you did was really cute"

"N-non... i-it was just me not moving my knees..."

"Either way, the awesome me found it cute"

Gil smiled and pulled me in for a kiss. We pretty much kissed until the lead singer announced there was going to be a slow dance. This time, I _was_ dragged to the dancefloor. Gil put his hands on my hips and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. As soon as the music started, so did we. Gil was obviously the lead, and the whole time I was just trying not to step on his toes. I looked around at all the other people dancing and smiled. We stayed like that even after the song was done, dancing to a slow-pop song. I guess.

((OH MY GILBERT I am so sorry guys ;_; this should have been out on freaking sunday, and I know this chapter isn't great but I will write more of the party next chapter I promise you allll :(! I might be dead for a few days, because I had my math and my science exam today. Back to back. AAGH. So, I will try to be on time with the next chapter... sorry :( *authoress appology rant finished* On a more awesome note, I am going to start my PruCan in Wonderland very soon, so look out for that! And of course, the new season of Hetalia is tomorrow. SO EXCITED))


	17. Parties are a Great Way to Meet People!

After the dancing, we went back to the food table. I tried some of the cake Gil had gotten, and it was good. I found some maple doughnuts and... let's just say they didn't last long. Gil was laughing at me for eating all of them. Though, I guess I can't blame him. I didn't even leave the crumbs. Speaking of Gil, he was devouring some cinnamon rolls. I gently dragged him away from the table before he saw the cinnamon sticks.

"But Birdie! They were calling my awesome name, kesesese! They were begging to be in my awesome stomach!"

I rolled my eyes and found where they had set up party games. There was plastic bowling, the thing where you hit a target and the person falls into a tank, a few board games and a place where you could guess the number of 'souls' (jellybeans) that were in the jar. We looked around and the dunking tank immediately caught my eye. The person at risk was wearing a vampire costume, and the liquid below him was red. Overall, it was kind of cheesy, but it looked like it would be fun! I smiled at Gil and pointed at it. He rolled his eyes, but we went to play anyways. The vampire above the tank was smiling at us.

"Good evening, my fellow creatures of the night! Would you like to give a vampire his greatest wish, a tank of blood? Please, take a shot! Don't be shy!"

"Ja. But I get some too, got it? I haven't had a decent meal in a while... Pharaoh over here's all dry"

I smiled at Gil playing along with the vampire. I made a grunting noise and did the mummy walk to the basket of plastic balls. I handed him three and grunted again. The albino vampire stepped back and smirked, showing off his teeth (and looking rather attractive...). He whipped the ball at the target and almost broke it, dunking the vampire into the red liquid. He made a yelping noise as he fell, which only made Gil's smirk bigger. I kissed him on the cheek as a reward, but he had other ideas. The Prussian pulled me close to him and we kissed. I heard the now-soaking wet vampire chuckle.

"Well, I guess he's not all dry, huh?"

...He couldn't see my blush, but I'm pretty sure Gil knew it was there. If his chuckle was anything to go by. The other vampire was handed a towel and went to change his costume. I guess Gil was the first one of the night to dunk him! We waved goodbye and went to another game. We walked around for a little before we saw it: dizzy races! Gil gave me that smile that meant he really wanted to do it. I rolled my eyes,much like he'd done to me.

"O-only if you take off the cape"

"But-"

"D-do you want to increase your chances o-of falling?"

"..Fine"

Gil handed me his cape and we walked to where the dizzy races were being held. A guy dressed like the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera was waiting. He also handed his cape to his significant other, a girl wearing a witch costume. Gil and the Phantom got ready and waited while the bats were being handed to them to spin around. The track they were going to be running on was a circle shape, with random obstacles and people lined up to scare the runners. And throw things at them. I looked back, to see that the vampire and Phantom had their foreheads on the baseball bats and were spinning. They spun for about a minute, before they took off running.

They were tripping over each other the entire race. I think Gil got a gummy worm down his pants or something because he did a weird little wiggle. I laughed and he gave the air a thumbs up, but his vision was weird so he probably thought that's where I was. The albino tripped and dragged the Phantom down with him. They both crawled to the finish line. But only the Phantom actually made it across, because Gil kind of flopped on his stomach. The witch walked over and congratulated Gil on a tie, but her date didn't look too happy about that. I somehow lifted Gil up and got him off the track. He laughed while holding his head.

"Oh mein gott that was fun! I'm still a little dizzy, kesese!"

"Um.. d-did you get a worm in your pants?"

"Ja, I did. But it fell out, because it was too unawesome!"

"Oh. H-how's your stomach?"

"It could be more awesome, but I won't barf, if that's what you're scared of. Now let's go see what else we can do!"

The witch who had congratulated Gil came over and brought his cape for him. She waved while walking back to where her date was now scowling. We stood up and walked to the plastic bowling, because there was a prize if you got a strike in a creative way. I though for a few moments, then closed my eyes, turned around and threw the ball between Gil's legs. I opened them again when I was pulled into a hug. All the pins had been knocked over! We were each given a box of chocolates... these would definitely not last long. Gil kissed me on the cheek.

"Ah... the awesome me found another gummy worm, so I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back, ja?"

"O-oui... d-don't be too long, you're the only person I know here"

Gil smirked and kissed me again, before trying to walk confidently away. But his legs going weird because of the gummy worm made it look funny. I chuckled and sat on one of the benches around the place. I scanned the crowd, looking at the costumes. There was a few really good ones, and I swear I saw someone dressed as a character from Dragonball Z. I smiled, watching everyone dance and have a good time until I heard it. Someone crying. I looked around for who it could possibly be, because it didn't sound like the few children running around. I finally saw the person. It was the witch from earlier. I looked away, thinking of what I could do to help her. Sighting, I just walked over to her and sat beside her, taking Gil's and my chocolate with me. She looked up with a questioning gaze. I blushed (thank goodness she couldn't see it) and tried to summon my courage again.

"U-um... I-I noticed you were crying a-a-and I was wondering why?"

"Oh..." She sighed and wiped her tears. "Well... m-my... h-he broke up... w-with me. He thought I was flirting with your boyfriend..."

I nodded in understanding. She sighed again and said something under her breath, something I wasn't quite sure I heard right. I asked her to repeat that.

"I-I don't have a ride home... or a place to go at the moment" she said quietly.

"W-well, um... Gil a-and I could l-let you stay the night... it's just us right now, s-so I'm sure it'll be okay"

She looked at me with wide blue eyes. Her entire face lit up a little.

"R-really? You would offer your home to me, just like that?"

"Oui..." I chuckled. "Gil h-has a habit of taking people in, I-I think"

I found myself in a bear hug. I squeaked and didn't know what do to until she let go. If I were wearing my glasses, they probably would have been crushed. She saw my slight discomfort and blushed. She extended her hand and I took it, shaking it firmly.

"I am Katyusha"

"I-I'm Matthew"

"Birdie?"

Gil came walking back, his problem now taken care of. He quirked an eyebrow and I tried to keep the smile off my face.

"G-Gil? Can w-we let Katyusha s-stay at our house for the night...?"

"Why?"

"B-because she doesn't have another place to go"

Gil thought about it. He looked from me to the girl beside me and back again. He looked like he was going to say no, but Kat spoke up.

"It will be only for the night time. We can drive to my sister's house in the morning"

"...Ja, fine"

I was pulled into another bear hug, but this time I hugged back. It was getting late and people were starting to trickle out of the room. The band had already packed up and left. We stood up and walked toward the exit, taking our chocolates at Katyusha with us. Once we were outside, I smiled. The cold air felt nice after being in the party all night. The room was getting pretty stuffy. Gil gently grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together. I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder as we walked.

"Um.. it is not a far walk to your house, da?"

"Nein, it's only twenty minutes. Why?"

"Because long walks make my back hurt... but it is okay, I guess"

I patted her on the shoulder and we made light conversation. However, I could feel the waves of jealousy roll off Gil. It kind of surprised me, considering he knew my sexuality... and I wasn't going to change that in the middle of a relationship. One that was going well, I might add. I kissed his cheek and sent him a loving smile, hoping that would ease him. He smirked and stole a kiss from me, pulling back before I had a chance to react. He laughed and the bounce was back in his step. Once we got in the house, Gil and I immediately got out of our costumes. Kat helped unwrap me, which made it go a lot faster. Though I was slightly dizzy by the end of it. We looked Kat over, trying to decide what to give her to wear to bed.

"Hm... one of Bruder's sweatshirts should probably fit you"

"A-and you can wear a pair of my track pants, i-if you'd like"

"Da, I would. Thank you so much Matvey and Gil... I do not know what I would have done without you"

She smiled brightly and took off her hat. Gil left to get the articles of clothing for her. I'm sure he was smiling. In the meantime, Kat and I sat on the couch and talked.

"So where d-does your sister live?"

"In town, but on the opposite end... and I cannot walk there, because of my back..."

"Oh... um, I-I like your accent.. are you from Russia, b-by any chance?"

"Nyet, I am from Ukraine. We moved here when I was very small, only five. By then little brother had been born and little sister was on the way"

I nodded and yawned a little. Kat chuckled and patted me on the shoulder.

"Matvey is tired, da?"

"Oui... d-dancing and trying to not trip over Gil's cape was tiring"

I smiled while saying that. Gil came back with the clothes and the Ukrainian walked upstairs and to the bathroom. The albino sat beside me and pulled me in his lap.

"Well Birdie, looks like you made a new friend, kesesese!"

"Y-you say that like I'm a kid at school... b-but oui, I think so"

"Do you know where she lives?"

"I-it's in the town, but her.. back issues prevent h-her from walking there."

"Ja, makes sense. Those are some huge-"

"Gil!"

He just laughed and kissed my cheek. Kat came back down the stairs. Everything fit well on her, much to my relief. We all went downstairs to the basement. Gil got out the mattress Francine had used, and got the same blanket and pillow for Kat. She layed down on the mattress while Gil and I just stripped down to our boxers. We climbed under the covers, smiling a how comfortable it was after being in our costumes. Gil pulled me close to his chest, smiling and kissing the top of my head. I blushed again and snuggled closer. Once we heard soft snoring, we kissed and turned out the light.

"Ich liebe dich, vogel"

"J-je t'aime"

I smiled and fell asleep, a warm feeling coursing through me. I was proud of myself for actually having the courage to talk to Kat, and now I was definitely glad we'd gone to that party. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found a new friend.

((Guess who's back :D? I cut my break short, because (thanks in large part to maplevogel's art on tumblr) I got over the writer's block. A few of you suggested Ukraine as Matvey's best friend, and I thought it was a very good idea, so here you go :D))


	18. A Few Interesting Challenges

When I woke up, Gil was in the middle of carrying me. I was somehow fully clothed. That was weird. I was fairly certain that the only thing both of us had gone to bed in was our boxers... huh. I weakly wrapped my arms around Gil's shoulders and pressed my lips to his neck, letting him know I was at least semi-conscious. I felt him chuckle.

"Morning Birdie... we're just taking Kat back to her house, then we have to pick Bruder and Feli up from the airport"

I nodded and rested my head against his collarbone. As I became more awake, I was aware of footsteps behind us. Kat must have been following. We walked through the front door and the cold air immediately woke me up. I touched my hair, wondering if I had bed head. But Gil had pulled it back with a ribbon. I chuckled at the memory of how much he liked my hair in a ribbon.

"Ah, liebe I have to set you down... and you don't have shoes on..."

"Gil, I-I'll be fine... remember my old shoes? I-if I could last five years in those, stepping i-in the snow in my socks isn't an issue"

Gil shrugged and set me down. I will admit my feet were cold, but it was bearable. I walked to the car and got in the back seat so Kat could sit in the front. She slid in and turned her head so we could talk.

"I am sorry that Matvey got a rude awakening, da? But I called little sister and she wanted me home immediately"

"Th-that's fine, a-and I'm used to rude awakenings"

"Does that happen often at your house?"

"N-non, this is the first time, actually"

She gave me a questioning look. I sighed and decided to just tell her.

"I-I used to live on the street... s-so I was woken up a lot of the time by a c-car horn or water being splashed on me"

"Oh... then how did you come to know Gilbert?"

"I-I was walking on the highway a-and he picked me up, j-just like that"

Gilbert slipped into the driver seat and smirked.

"You're forgetting that there was a blizzard going on and the awesome you stuck out with the clothes and the violin"

I shrugged and Gil started the car. Kat gave him directions and we drove to the house she'd said. Gil handed me a random pair of flip-flops from a compartment and I put them on to walk Kat to the door. As soon as we were both outside the door opened. A very pretty, but kind of scary girl walked out of it- holy maple, w-was that a knife?! Sh-she walked toward us w-with a frown a-and a weapon.

"Katyusha. Who is this"

"Nat, this is my new friend, Matvey!"

"Hm. And you told me that Matvey is the one who was talking to you after dickface broke up with you?"

"Da"

The one named Nat walked up to me. I was sure my shaking was visible. She got up really close to my face, making me turn away slightly.

"You will not hurt big sister Katyusha, da? As in, if you try to grope her or anything, then I-"

She was cut off by Kat pulling her away.

"Natalya. Matvey is gay and in a relationship"

Natalya backed up a little. She walked around me and looked me over. She then looked at her sister.

"Then I congratulate you on your acceptable friendship"

She walked back inside and I breathed a sigh of relief. Kat patted me on the shoulder, and gave me a sheepish look.

"Little sister gets... defensive when I am around males. I have had some bad experiences... and we will leave it at that"

"I-I understand... so, um... d-do you want to hang out again sometime?"

"You still want to be my friend after meeting little sister?"

"O-oui!"

"Then da, I would love to. But it appears that Gilbert is getting impatient, so goodbye for now"

We hugged and waved goodbye. Kat went in her house and I slid in the front seat of the car. Gil leaned over and kissed me, sending me a loving smile to accompany it. I blushed and kissed back, finally relaxing. When Gil pulled back he smiled once more and kissed me on the forehead. I sighed in happiness and got on my seatbelt. I took off my footwear, including the socks, and threw them in the back seat. Gil chuckled and started the car again.

"The ride to the airport's pretty long... so if you want to nap, go ahead"

I simply nodded and looked out the window. We were on the highway now; the same one that Gil had picked me up on. I looked out the window and saw what I thought was the very spot I'd met Gil at. I smiled and looked back at Gil. I was... well, obviously I was extremely grateful he picked me up that day. For the first time in my life, I was actually happy. Not the little bursts of happiness that would come maybe once a month. No, this was the kind of happiness I'd hoped for my entire life. I was loved, I had a family, a home, even a dog! No one said anything rude to me, and-

"You okay, Birdie?"

I looked at Gil again and realised a few tears had slipped out. I wiped them and nodded.

"I-I was just thinking o-of... y-you know, how much everything has changed for the better. I-I finally have a home, someone... s-someone who actually loves me back... and people w-who I know I can trust"

Gil gave me the most heartwarming smile I've ever seen and pulled over just to kiss me. I rolled my eyes and smiled at this. It was a short kiss, but only because we were going to be late. We got back on the road and Gil turned on the radio. For some reason, it was playing a song in a language I didn't recognise. After it was done, the person on the radio said it was Distress and Coma by the Gazette. I glanced at Gil as I saw him pull out an unmarked CD from a compartment. He put it in and smirked.

"It's number four"

I switched it to number four and there was the song. I listened carefully, trying to figure out how I was to play this song. After listening to it a few times, I sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"W-well, in order to play th-this song... I-Im going to have to play all the parts separately"

"Oh... that's a problem because?"

"W-well... c-can we even do it for a video?"

"Ja, of course we can! The awesome me's done it before for Francine"

"O-oh... um... d-do you think you could accompany me w-with guitar?"

He smirked. "I'd love to, Silent Music. I even have an electric!"

I chuckled at my stage name and looked out the window again. I frowned as I realised where we were now. It was Toronto, which meant we were going to Pearson International Airport. I shuddered a little. This was one of the few places where I'd be hanging on to Gil's arm, not his hand. I mentally braced myself as the albino parked the car. He checked his phone for the terminal we were to wait outside of, then we walked in. I immediately latched onto Gil's arm, scared to lose him here. He slipped that arm out of my grasp and wrapped it around my waist. We walked for a little before finding an empty bench near the terminal. Gil pulled me in his lap and I buried my face in his shoulder and neck. I felt his hand go up my sweater and rub my back, trying to calm me down. I just snuggled closer.

"Birdie... any particular reason why you're so scared?" he said softly.

"I-I got lost in here... d-dad forgot about me a-and got on the plane with just Al... I-I stayed in a hotel, d-doing dishes until he got back... I was eight"

I whispered this, though I knew even if I talked at normal volume no one would hear me but Gil. He wrapped his arms tight around me and kissed my hair.

"Then I won't let you go until we need to get in the car"

I finally relaxed at this. I weakly nodded and just focused on the feeling of Gil's pulse on my nose. I was running over Distress and Coma in my head, trying to figure out how we were going to do this until someone poked my side. I squeaked and jumped a little, much to the delight of someone.

"Ve, I thought Matteo was asleep!"

"Nein, he's just... not feeling awesome at the moment"

"Bruder, did you get him car sick?"

"If that were the case, would I be holding the awesome him like this?"

My mind wandered from that conversation, back to the song. One of my hands was on the side of Gil's neck, and that was the one that did all the note playing on the neck of the violin. As I focused more on the song I could feel my fingers tapping against his neck as if it were my violin. I don't think he minded; otherwise he would have stopped me. I had figured out the background strings part and was moving on to the other guitars when Gil shifted a little. He slid his hand out from my sweater and I lifted my head to see why. He pecked me on the nose and smiled.

"Come on liebling, time to get up. Awesomeness and Luddy need to go home, kesesese!"

I simply nodded as we got up The albino wrapped his arm back around me and held me close to him while we walked. I looked behind me to see Ludwig and Feli following us. I sent them a weak smile and Feli waved enthusiastically back. I chuckled, though it was just a short, louder-than-normal breath. Gil smiled and kissed the top of my head. When we got outside, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had come out of there with the same person I went in with, which meant I was safe. I helped Gil and Ludwig load his and Feli's suit cases into the trunk and got in the front seat. Gil slid in the driver seat and we were off. I was handed a pair of headphones. The albino plugged them in and hit play on the CD player. I smiled and listened to the song. By the time we got home, I had memorised every part of it and figured out how to play it. Hopefully we'd be able to get someone to play drums... or we could get a cover from the internet.

Once we were at the house I hit stop on the player and took out the headphones. I got out and opened the door while everyone got their things from the car. Once Ludwig was in and had set his load down, he got attacked by the dogs. I guess they were happy to see him! I picked up Kuma, who'd disappeared for a few days. He smelled like dirt... I guess he got out somehow. Well, I was definitely glad he was back. Gil noticed this too, and frowned.

"Birdie, Kuma's going to need a bath..."

"I-I know... oh, is there a-anyone coming for the rest of the puppies today?"

"Ja, but not until three"

"Bruder. It's three now"

Gil and I looked at each other, then ran downstairs. We came back up, ready for the people to come. Kuma was safely in the basement, waiting for me to tell him to come up again.

"Gil... a-after this, can we get started on th-the video?"

"Or does a nap sound awesome?"

"Nap. D-Definitely a nap"

We heard a knock on the door. I answered it and the people stepped in the house, looking it over. They nodded, apparently okay with the way it looked. Gil walked over and shook both their hands. We all went to the puppy room. The woman loved the Golden Retrievers, but her husband was set on a German Shepherd. After a small argument (which was kind of awkward for Gil and I), they decided on the Golden Retriever.

The rest of the day went somewhat like that, except for without the fighting. By six, all the puppies were gone. Which meant that finally, we wouldn't have to do that anymore. I breathed a sigh of relief and we went to the basement. As soon as our shirts and pants were off, Gil faceplanted in bed. I chuckled and crawled beside him, snuggling close to him. He smiled and pulled me even closer. I fell asleep to feeling him place slow, relaxing kisses all up and down my neck.

((I'm sorry this is late... I will try to get back into a regular updating schedule... ))


	19. Pulling an All-Nighter

I was woken up about three hours later by someone poking my ribs. I whined and rolled on the opposite side, snuggling up to Gil's chest. I was still very, very tired The hand that was poking my side slid down and an arm wrapped around me, holding me close to him. I opened my eyes and looked up at him. The albino smiled and cupped my cheek with the hand he'd been poking me with.

"You know... I think you're one of those people who's going to be cute even when you're old and wrinkly"

I chuckled and kissed his cheek. Gil turned his head slightly and kissed me. I totally relaxed in his arms, propping myself up on an elbow for a better angle. When we pulled back I shyly kissed his neck, blushing slightly as I did. Gil chuckled silently and placed a kiss on the top of my head. We cuddled for a little, until my stomache started hurting. Frowning, I looked down at it. Oh right... I hadn't had anything to eat. That was bad. Even on the road, I made sure to eat at least a slice of meat a day. Maybe a carrot if I was lucky. I looked at Gil, silently asking him if there was food. He started at me, appearing to think for a few moments. His face suddenly lit up and he smirked.

"That's what I woke you up for! It's lasagna night"

"Mmm... w-well, let's not keep them waiting"

Gilbert nodded and we got out of bed. I was almost at the stairs when a hand on my shoulder stopped me. Gil took out the ribbon, then tied back my hair again. I could feel his smirk against my head as he kissed it, then grabbed my hand. I blushed, pleased at his action. We walked up the stairs and Feli immediately bounded over. He hugged both of us and was jumping slightly while in our embrace.

"Ve, ve, ve! The reunion was so fun! Lovino got a pie thrown in his face, then he tripped on a random potato that was just laying there and fell on his face and hurt his elbow. Ooh, and Grandpa Romulus decided to have an art contest, which I won! I was so shocked! And everyone got to cook and sing and dance and smile and it was a lot of fun! Anyways, let's eat!"

I...I will admit there was more, but I didn't catch it. We walked to the table and sat down. Ludwig smiled a little when he saw us.

"Took you long enough to ask each other out. Feli and I made a bet on whether you'd become a couple while we were gone"

"Ve, I lost!"

"Ja. So you owe me a back scratch"

I chuckled a little. Feli poured me some of the strawberry wine and I smiled a little, thanking him. I took a sip and waited for the food to be distributed. Gil decided it would be his job to do that. He cut the lasagna in four and gave a piece to each of us, then did the same with the garlic bread. He sat back down and gave me a surprise kiss on the cheek before we started eating.

The lasagna and garlic bread were really good. But by the end of it I was so full I didn't think I could move very much. I finished my wine and sat back in my chair, sighing in happiness. Gil grabbed my hand again and kissed it. My face lit up in a blush and he chuckled a little.

"You think we can still do the song?"

Ludwig raised an eyebrow.

"What song are you doing?"

"Distress and Coma"

"Ah... and you are doing it together, ja?"

"O-oui, but we're going to have to do i-it in parts, then edit the whole thing together"

"...This is going to take a while, isn't it?"

"Ja, most likely. But it's going to be awesome, so I don't see any reason for you to complain, kesesese!"

"Except for the fact that this is going to keep me up all night"

"W-well, I don't think it's going t-to take all night... b-besides, it's only six thirty"

"Ja! Uh... the awesome us is going to need to use the living room though..."

"Why?"

"I need my electric guitar"

Ludwig sighed and put his face in his hands.

"No matter what I say you're going to do it anyways, so ja. Just don't be so loud you shake the house"

Gil and I nodded. I could feel the excitement in the air (Except from wherever Ludwig was...)! The German took the dishes and washed them while Gil and I got everything to the living room and set up. Gil set his camera on the coffee table and made sure that we would be in the frame. I went downstairs and listened to Distress and Coma once more, making sure I knew every part and how I was to do it. I ran back upstairs once I was sure. Gilbert handed me a notepad. I sat on the couch and wrote down a list of all the instruments we'd need to do and where we were going to fit the guitar in. I ran over it vocally with Gil.

"I-I think we should do the lead guitar a-and vocals first, then do the rhythm guitar a-and the background strings. I can play... something similar to the base, a-and any background vocals we'll do with other sounds i-in here... d-does that sound good?"

"Ja, that sounds awesome! By the way, the awesome me was thinking... We're bound to screw up somewhere, ja? So why don't we see if we can make a blooper reel?"

I laughed and nodded. Feli walked over and gave me my violin. I quickly checked the tuning and made sure everything was in place and in the right key. Gil then hit record and we started. For the first little while, everything was fine. But when Gil was doing the guitar solo, he suddenly switched to an entirely different song. I stopped playing and stared at him, hoping he'd get the message. But somehow, he didn't. I guess he was too focused on the random song he switched to. Sighing, I played an intentionally loud, bad note. He jumped and looked at me in shock, finally stopping his playing.

"Uh, Gil... y-you switched songs halfway through that"

"Did I? Oops... I mean! I'm too awesome to do that, I just decided that... uh... fuck it, let's do it over"

I was laughing so hard there were tears in my eyes. Gil tried to pout, but it's hard to do that while you're smirking.

"Well, th-there's blooper number one"

Gil finally gave in and laughed. He started playing again, this time doing the right song. We finished the lead guitar and cover of the vocals, which meant it was time for rhythm guitar and background strings. This time, someone let Blackie out of the dog room. The rather large animal came running over and barked unexpectedly, making me jump about a food in the air and screw up the part I was working on. Gil was... well, let's just say I had to pick him up off the floor, where he had fallen in his laughing attack. I gently hit him on the head with the violin and he smirked. We picked up from that spot and we were almost finished when Feli apparently forgot we were in here. He ran past us, saying something about a coat. Gil and I looked at each other and our palms simultaneously hit our faces.

The rest of the things we had to play went pretty smoothly. Kuma did jump up on me once, scaring me slightly again. I looked at Gil and he was trying to hide his giggles. I rolled my eyes and told Kuma to go under the table. Once he was out of the living room, we continued. There were little mistakes that both of us made, which were impossible to hide and were kind of funny. I got a chuckle out of them anyways. It was ten when we finally got everything recorded. Tired, but very pleased, we packed up our stuff and went downstairs. Once we were down there, Gil pulled me close to him and kissed me again. I could feel his hands throbbing slightly. They must have been sore. I pulled back from his lips to kiss his fingers. He smiled, and I think he blushed slightly. He sat down at his computer desk and plugged his camera in. Gil turned to me with a tired grin.

"This is the part that's going to take all night... this is gonna be a hell of a lot of editing"

"P-probably... u-um, can I play Silent Hill w-while you do that..? I-I want to stay up with you"

"Ja, go ahead. You can play some of my other games too... the awesome me thinks I have Left 4 Dead 2"

"Oh! Th-that looked like a good game"

I went over to the TV and turned it on, then got Left 4 Dead 2 set up. I grabbed the controller and started playing. It turns out I was actually good at it... I sniped a few Special Infected and managed to kill a Tank. Every so often I'd pause the game to go see what Gil was doing. He'd try to explain it to me, but most of it flew right over my head. When that happened, he'd just give up and go on to the next thing. The albino played back for me the parts he'd synchronised. I was surprised at how good it sounded! My favourite parts would have to be the ones with the background strings. I loved the way they sounded with everything else.

I managed to stay up until three in the morning. Right in the middle of fighting a Horde, I passed out. When I woke up again, Gil was still at the computer. He had a mug of something hot, so that was good. I sat up again, moving from the random clothes that had become my pillow. Gil looked at me with a tired smile.

"Did the awesome you enjoy your nap?"

"Nap? W-what time is it?"

"It's five in the morning, liebling... and the awesome me is almost done making the blooper reel"

"W-what about the actual song?"

"I was done that about an hour ago, but in my awesomeness I didn't want to wake you up. I did listen to it a few times though. It sounds pretty good!"

I grinned at this and stood up shakily. I walked over and hugged him from behind, resting my chin on his shoulder. This time he didn't try to explain what he was doing. He just did the clicking and the dragging and whatever else he had to do. He finished just a few minutes later. Gil saved it and hit play, watching it over for any mistakes. He smirked when his random song playing came up.

"Hey! The awesome me was playing Through the Fire and the Flames, kesesese!"

"B-but that's not a Japanese song..."

"Ja, but it still sounded awesome"

I shrugged and chuckled when I jumped in the air. My expression _was_ pretty funny. But I think Kuma knew what he was doing when he jumped on me... silly dog. Maybe he needed to go for a walk. That might be why he intentionally messed me up. After the bloopers were done, Gil grinned and clicked on another saved file, the one with our song. He hit play on that and sat back a little. I listened to it and... I don't know if it was Gil's editing skills or just our playing or what, but... it was astonishing. It sounded so professional and clean, and just... wow.

Gil minimised the window and brought up Youtube. He first uploaded the bloopers to his channel. Then he went to mine and left the song to upload. We just stripped to our boxers again and climbed in bed. As soon as Gil's arms were around me, I was out like a light. What can I say? It was a very tiring day, and I was glad to get some rest.

((I have decided that the 200th reviewer will get a free one-shot with the pairing/friendship pairing of your choice! Just give me the situation and I'll see what I can do :) There's over one hundred of you following this, so it shouldn't take long to get there XD))


	20. Only Gil Would Think of This

I was rudely awakened by the pillow being snatched from under my head. I whined and tried to grab it back from Gil, but he wouldn't give it to me. I opened my eyes to pout at him... but it wasn't Gil on the bed with me. It was Feli... what was going on?! He looked at me with sad eyes and hugged the pillow close to his chest.

"Ve... Gilbo and Luddy are fighting"

I sat up and looked at Feli with a slightly scared expression.

"W-what are they fighting about?"

"I don't know, I just ran down here as soon as they started yelling"

I immediately got out of bed and almost made it to the stairs, before I ran back. But I realised I only had boxers on. I made a noise of frustration and went to the drawer, pulling out a pair of pj pants that I'm certain were Gil's. I quickly put them on and ran upstairs. The yelling that was just a quiet murmur in the basement was actually full-blown screaming. I couldn't understand any of it because it was in German. Once I was at the top of the stairs, I just watched Gil and Ludwig yell at each other. I looked closely at both their faces, and they... kind of scared me. Ludwig's in particular, because it was so close to the face dad made when ever he was angry... it was hard to convince myself that the German was someone I trusted. I watched them yell at each other so much I thought they were going to start... hitting each other. I would definitely have to intervene then.

As soon as I shifted a little, both their heads whipped in my direction. Gil's glaring eyes softened and he said one last thing to his brother before walking over to me. He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me downstairs. Once we were in the basement, Feli went back up. He was probably going to see what he could do for Ludwig... that was good. Ludwig being angry was something I didn't care to see twice. Once we were down there the albino let go of my hand. Gil put my violin in the case, grabbed the Walking Dead sweater and handed them to me. I could feel my heart rate increasing. I didn't think mon amour giving me these was good...

"Meet me outside"

I simply nodded weakly. Was... was I being kicked out? Was the argument over whether I should stay here or not? These thoughts kept running through my head as I put on the sweater and got on some socks. I knew my face was pale, and my eyes were kind of blank. I just hoped that somehow, Gil wouldn't notice. I put the violin on like a backpack and went upstairs. My shoes went on and I was out the door. Gil was leaning against the wall, talking on the phone. As soon as he saw me, he said goodbye and frowned. He pulled me close to him and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Birdie, what's bothering the awesome you?"

I fidgeted and looked away, unsure as to how I was going to answer this. Gil was still holding me, so I guessed that was a good sign. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around him and layed my head on his collarbone. That spot seemed to have become my pillow. Gil slid his hand up and ran his cold fingers through my hair. I smiled and kissed his pale neck. He pressed his cheek to my head and we stayed like that for a little. Gil lifted his head, making me do the same. Red stared into purple as he tried to read what the problem had been. I blushed and looked away.

"I-I'm... I'm still l-living here, right?"

Gil sighed in relief and smiled.

"Ja, of course you are! I can't live without mein awesome vogel, now can I?"

I blushed and gave him a shy smile. He kissed my cheek and let go of me, only to grab my hand. We started walking.

"Gil?"

"Ja?"

"W-what was the fight about?"

Gilbert's face got sad and he looked away for a few moments. I waited patiently for his answer.

"Well, Bruder... found out about that puppy, the one we gave away? They called to say thanks, and I honestly don't know how Bruder didn't wake you up with the yelling"

"Oh..."

I immediately felt bad. That had completely slipped my mind, actually... I sighed sadly and looked away. But Gil lead us to a bench along the street and sat down, pulling me in his lap. He tilted my chin up with a finger and looked me in the eye.

"Birdie. You changed their lives. Before that dog, the little girl was depressed and... well, there was a lot of stuff wrong with her. But now that they have the dog, her condition's improved a lot. She's actually socialising with other kids her age... and let's face it, that wouldn't have happened if they didn't get the puppy"

"R-really?"

"Ja! So don't you dare feel bad about it, Mattie. You did something awesome and Bruder's too much of an ass to see that"

A smile crossed my face. I had caused that? That... that was amazing. To think such a small action could have such a big impact on someone! Gil kissed my cheek and we got up. Our fingers intertwined again, making me feel a surge of relief on top of the amazement I felt at his words. But why were we outside in the first place (not that I minded), and why did Gil tell me to bring my violin? I asked him this and he smirked.

"Well, we're going to find us a job"

"U-us?"

"Ja. Bruder fired me. Which doesn't make any sense, considering it's a family business and now he's gonna run the entire thing himself, the unawesome loser. Kesesese!"

I chuckled at this. Maybe Gil was right. Without another person there, it did seem like a big job. And Feli... I didn't know how much of a help he'd be. O-of course, I could just be underestimating him. Ah... it wasn't my place to judge. Gil and I walked along the streets, looking for a 'help wanted' sign in the window of a shop or something. We had to have been walking for two hours before we came to the shoe store I played in front of. Gil smirked so much I thought his face would get stuck like that.

"Birdie, the awesome me has a plan!"

"O-oh mon dieu... w-what is it?"

"You see that fountain right here?"

"O-oui"

"You know Some Nights?"

"O-oui! I like that song"

"Good! Let's go; just follow the awesome me's lead!"

I felt a smile creep on my face as we walked there. People immediately formed a crowd once I set my violin case on the ground and opened it. I was quite happy people remembered me. I didn't think they would, after me not playing in public for a while. I looked up and... w-was that a news crew!? That had never happened before... I looked at Gil and he winked. He got up on the edge of the fountain and once I had the violin out I followed. I saw Kat and her sister in the crowd and I smiled at them. Gil cleared his throat and smirked again.

"Hey, you guys remember Silent Music, ja?"

There was a huge cheer from the crowd. I waved to Kat for her to come stand up with Gil and I. She came running over and gave me a warm smile.

"You want to help him play a song?"

There was an even bigger cheer this time. I looked at the news van I'd seen earlier and there was a camera out.

"Okay, everyone knows Some Nights, right?"

Again the people cheered.

"Good! Silent Music, Kitty and I need some of you to keep the beat, like this"

Gil did a stomping clapping beat that was simple, so everyone could do it.

"And the rest of you can do the background 'oooh ooooh ooooh ooh'. I'll point so you know when to do your awesome parts, okay? Let's do this!"

My smile was huge as I brought the violin to my chin. I was certain, one hundred percent, that Gil had planned this entire thing. Maybe not the news crew; I don't think Gil would go that far. I started the vocals and Kat sang the song with the violin. Gil pointed to the crowd and they started their 'ooh' thing. He pointed again and there was a chorus of stomping and clapping. The few people that didn't want to do any of those things sang along with Kat and I. I wish I could tell you just how... incredibly powerful the entire thing was, both physically and emotionally. The stomping actually vibrated the concrete Gil, Kat and I were standing on. I opened my eyes a few times and saw that everyone was smiling and doing their parts as Gil instructed. Gil was singing too, which made my smile grow by a huge amount. Kat's singing covered for the ending of the song, where I did the guitar instead of the vocals. I'm fairly sure even the camera crew was singing with her.

No one wanted the song to be done, but we had already dragged it out for an extra two minutes. I dragged the bow across the strings one last time and Gil, Kat and I raised our arms. There was clapping from all around us, cheers and screams of our names. We bowed and stepped down from the fountain. I looked at the violin case and... I could barely see it through all the coins and bills in there. That looked like a month's worth of playing on the road... I didn't want to bother counting it. I simply put it in the wallet pocket of the violin case. Kat came and hugged me, before saying her goodbye.

"That was... incredible, Matvey. Maybe you will play again?"

"After th-this, definitely"

"Ah, wonderful! Also, we must go out for coffee sometime, da?"

"S-sure!"

She waved and walked off. The lady with the mic and the camera guy walked over to us, most likely for a short interview. The albino and I sat on the edge of the fountain, in a place where the people were gone. The woman turned to the camera and started her introduction.

"Hello, I am Lilli Zwingli from L.O.N. Today, as you just saw, we have two people who brought together a small community here in Ontario. What are your names?"

"Silent Music"

"Prussia"

"So, Silent Music and Prussia. What made you think of doing that for your community?"

"Well, that was all the awesome me. Silent Music had no idea until we got here. I figured it would be fun for everyone, and a town-wide singalong never hurt anyone, kesesese!"

"And it seems you were quite right! Silent music, how long have you been playing?"

"I-I started five years ago"

"What made you start?"

"W-well... I had too. My father kicked me out r-right after highschool, a-and playing was the only way I could make e-enough money to live"

"Oh... that is quite unfortunate. I'm certainly glad you're here with us today. Are you still homeless or did you somehow find a house?"

"I was walking o-on the highway when Prussia saw me, picked me up and t-took me into his family. I-I probably would have died i-in the blizzard..."

"Have you kept up your playing since then or is this the first in a while?"

"Prussia m-make me a Youtube channel, so i-if anyone wants to hear more then they c-can just search my name"

"Alright, we will all keep that in mind. Thank you for your time and have a good day"

We nodded and the news lady left with her crew. Once the van had driven away I gave Gil a knowing smile.

"Y-you set this up"

"The entire thing, kesesesese!"

"E-even the news people?"

"Ja! They're just from the highschool. We helped them with their project"

I couldn't stop myself. I jumped on Gil, wrapped my arms and legs around him and gave him a big kiss. He laughed and kissed back, sending waves of happiness through me. When he pulled back, he cupped my cheek.

"I love you, Birdie... "

"I-I love you too, Gil"

I got down from him and he packed my things up. He put the violin on my back, grabbed my hand and we started walking.

"You know, we still need to find jobs... that was just for awesomeness"

I shook my head and smiled. Well, I guessed this little publicity stunt Gil set up would increase our chances of finding one! We walked around for a little, this time looking in earnest. I saw a pancake house that looked like it had a sign in the window. Upon closer inspection, it was a 'help desperately needed' sign. I looked at Gil for confirmation. His face lit up and we went in there. We were greeted by a short blond man who looked overjoyed to see us.

"Ah, hello there! Welcome to my pancake house! Please, take a seat!"

"Actually, we were l-looking to apply for jobs..."

The man looked shocked.

"R-really? Um, do you have any experience making pancakes?"

"Birdie does. His pancakes are the best!"

"Oh, well... as long as yo- wait!"

The man came rushing over from behind the counter and looked us over.

"I saw you in the town square doing the singing and the dancing! You are hired!"

Now it was my turn to be shocked. We were hired, just like that? Huh. I guess Gil's little publicity stunt went a long way! We were pulled into a hug by the blond man.

"Oh, you guys are the best! I was planning on closing shop for good tomorrow, but you saved me! When can you start working?"

"Now would be awesome"

"Alright! I am Tino, but you can call me Mr V! I will give you your uniforms and some paperwork to file out. Also, I would like a resume from both of you, okay? Who wants to do what?"

"Well, the awesome me could work at the front while Birdie's making the pancakes"

"Alright! Welcome aboard, Prussia and Silent Music!"

"Ah, y-you can call me Matthew and this is Gilbert"

He smiled warmly and disappeared into the back room. Gil leaned his back against the counter and held me close. This had gone... a lot better than expected. I hugged him back and rested my head on his chest. I was glad we had gotten the job without much searching or any hassles... though something told me this would entail more than just making pancakes.


	21. A Reunited Family

Nothing much happened at our new job. We got our uniforms, which were basically blue aprons and light blue shirts. I made some pancakes for Tino to try, and he... well, he did the same thing Gil did when he first had them. Which was to take one bite, stop for a second, then inhale them. After that Gil and I were taught how to do both jobs in case the other was sick or something. As it was Friday, Tino gave us the weekend off. He said he had a guy coming to look at the place anyways. Gil and I just left our uniforms there, grabbed our stuff and left. As soon as we were out of there Gil made a small noise. I looked at him and he was frowning.

"W-what's wrong?"

"The awesome me thinks our job is kinda lame compared to dog breeding"

"...O-oui, it is, but... m-maybe once we've been there for a while o-or if you really hate it we can go somewhere else?"

"Maybe..."

We headed in the direction of home. The snow had started to pick up again, and the wind was icy cold. It took us roughly an hour to walk home. By then we were frozen. The sweater I had put on was pretty thin, and pj pants didn't exactly cut it. We got in the door, thankful that the house was warm. Gil hung up his coat and looked at me, surprised the cold had affected me. To be honest, I was surprised too. I guess I wasn't used to being subjected to Mother Nature's torment anymore. That would have been good, if I had a coat to keep the cold out. Gil hugged me close, trying to share what little body heat he had. We stayed like that until we heard footsteps coming close. I opened one eye and saw Ludwig standing there with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. The albino's arms tightened around me. I gave him a watered down version of the puppy eyes. He stared for a few seconds before sighing and relaxing his hold slightly. We took the hot beverages from Ludwig and sipped them.

"M-merci beaucoup, Ludwig"

"You're welcome. Bruder, may I speak with you in private?"

"About?"

"...Our argument"

Gil nodded and let go of me. He gave me a kiss on the cheek as a goodbye and followed his brother into the kitchen. I took off my shoes and sat on the couch, sipping my hot chocolate. The two were speaking in German, so I couldn't understand them. The extent of my knowledge was 'Ja' and 'Nein'. I looked around, wondering where Feli was. Maybe he was taking a nap... or had gone to bed, considering it was late. Maybe he was out grocery shopping or something like that. I listened as the Germanic voices in the kitchen rose for a few sentences, before dropping back to the hushed tone they were speaking at before. I guess an argument was about to break out again, but one of them had been civil enough to stop it. Having finished my drink now, I decided that playing quiet music would be good. I took the violin off my back and went downstairs. I was pretty sure Gil wouldn't mind.

Once I got down there and seated on the bed, I started fiddling around (haha) with some notes. I did that until I found one I recognized in a song. I ended up playing the Legend of Zelda theme song, the Mario theme song and the Skyrim theme song. I had never actually played Skyrim, but someone showed the main theme to me once. It was really pretty. I was glad I was able to transfer that to my instrument. I must have zoned out while I was playing, because when I came back to earth Gil was sitting on the bed beside me. I blushed and set down the violin.

"B-bonjour... I-I hope I didn't keep you waiting t-to long..."

"Nein, you didn't. Bruder wants to come talk to us together"

My eyes widened in fear. Gil must have seen this because he immediately pulled me in his lap. I hugged him tight, my fright clouding my senses. Last time someone had wanted to talk to me and a person I held dear... ish... I had gotten kicked out. I really hoped there wasn't going to be a repeat performance of that act. Gil rubbed my back, trying to calm me down.

"Birdie, it's okay. Luddy isn't kicking either of us out... he just wants to appologise"

I lifted my head from off the albino's chest and gave him a questioning look.

"A-appologise? For what?"

"Being an unawesome dick"

"Ja, something like that"

Our head whipped in the direction of the stairs. Ludwig was leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. Gil's hold on me tightened, but this time I didn't care. My heart was hammering in my chest. I wanted to believe mon amour, that everything would be fine. But I was still going to expect being asked to leave. Ludwig sat on the bed beside us. As discreetly as I could, I rested my head on the Prussian's collarbone so I wouldn't have to meet his brother's eyes. I heard a sigh from the tall German.

"Matthew... I apologise"

"For w-what?"

"For scaring you this morning and for... well, being a dick to Bruder"

"And exactly _how_ were you a dick to your totally awesome and forgiving Bruder?"

"...Kicked him out of the business he started and made him leave for the whole day..."

I sighed and shook my head. Fighting was stupid. Families shouldn't fight. They should support one another and encourage one another, not get angry and do things they'll regret later. I snuggled closer to Gil and chanced a look at Ludwig.

"Y-you're forgiven"

The blue eyed man nodded and... smiled a little.

"Danke... now I must go fine Feli"

"Do y-you know where he could have gone?"

"Nein... he ran out after you two left"

"And you didn't go get hi- Bruder. You're an idiot. You know better than I do how accident-prone that kid is!"

"Well... he has been texting me so I'm assuming he's not dead. And he is rather calm, which is worrying me slightly, but-"

"Go check Lovino's house. If he's not there then check the restaurant"

Ludwig was probably about to argue, but he stopped himself. He simply nodded and got up, going up the stairs and out the door to go find his husband. I finally relaxed and felt Gil chuckle.

"Didn't I tell you it would be okay?"

"...Oui... b-but that doesn't mean I-I'm not going to be cautious"

"Aww, does Birdie not trust me?"

"Gil. I-I trust you more than anyone on this planet. I-I'm just going off of past experiences h-here"

"Ah"

That was all he said as he picked me up bridal style. My arms went around his shoulders. I made a small, questioning noise and got a kiss on the forehead.

"The awesome me wants to cuddle and watch scary movies with you"

"O-on the couch?"

"Ja! It's the most awesome place for holding my human teddy bear"

"Gil.. i-if these movies scare you so much why d-do you watch them?"

"They don't scare me _that_ much, Mattie. Just enough to get the adrenaline flowing and scheisse like that"

I rolled my eyes playfully and kissed his neck. I was all for the cuddling. We hadn't gotten to do that much in the last few days, except for at bedtime. But I didn't count that, because I was asleep for more than half of it. Once we were up the stairs, Gil set me on my feet. He took off his shirt, then gently took off mine. He walked over to the shelves of movies they had tucked away in a corner. He picked one and put it in the DVD player, then laid on the couch. I settled on top of him, smiling when Gil pulled down the blanket from the top of the couch. He spread it on top of us and hit play on the movie. I simply used the Prussian's chest as a pillow and waited for the gore.

Gil had picked out a zombie movie. It was pretty good; I almost jumped once. The old-school makeup and gore effects were kind of refreshing after seeing all the new ways the makeup and costuming was done. I actually laughed when one of the survivors died, but only because I didn't like him. Gil still looked at me like I was insane. I just kissed his chest and snuggled closer. He chuckled at me and rested his cheek on the top of my head. I think we cuddled more than we watched the movie. Something happened that was obviously linked to a plot development somewhere else, but I had been to busy focusing on Gil to notice that. Both of us clapped when the movie was over... but neither of us wanted to get up to pick a different movie. We just snuggled on the couch, kissing occasionally. The looks Gil gave me turned me to jelly. His scarlet eyes told me exactly how much he loved me. I was actually surprised at the ammount. I just hoped my eyes were telling Gil the same message. We were about to kiss, but Ludwig and Feli coming through the door interrupted us.

"Feliciano! What did I tell you about that old woman down the street?!"

"Ve, but Luddy! She was really nice and she offered me some wine!"

"Dummkopf! You don't accept wine from a person unless you know them! Otherwise it could be poisoned or something like that"

"But she's a good person! She adopted a bunch of cats and took them out of the cold!"

Gilbert chuckled and kissed my hairline.

"Feli. Owning thirty cats doesn't make you a good person, it makes you crazy and really lonely"

"So then I can keep her company and she can say bye to some of the cats!"

"Nein! Feliciano, don't go over there again unless I am with you"

There was silence in the room for a few moments, before Feli spoke in a quieter tone.

"Why do you care so much now when you didn't in the morning?"

There was sadness in his voice. Gil quickly explained to me that after the last fight he and his brother had, Feli made him promise to not fight again. Ludwig sighed and hugged Feli.

"Liebling, I... I still cared in the morning"

"You didn't! You broke your promise..."

"Ja, I know. And I won't do it again"

Feli didn't look convinced.

"I'll let you make pasta tonight, with extra garlic and tomatoes"

"V-ve! Really? Does Luddy mean it?"

"Ja, of course I do. Now let's boil some hot water"

The two went into the kitchen and I chuckled. Gil flipped us so we were laying on our sides, with me pressed between the couch and his chest. I sighed in contentment and moved closer to him. He was so warm, and his arms were so comforting. I gave him a loving smile, which was returned to me even brighter than I'd sent it. Gil tilted my chin up and gently pressed his lips to mine. I don't know how we did it, but by the time we pulled back from the kiss our bodies were intertwined. I didn't want to move for fear of breaking something, so I just relaxed. Gil started leaving butterfly kisses on my neck. I smiled and ruffled his hair a little. The smell of garlic and tomatoes wafted from the kitchen, along with giggling from Feli. It seemed that we were a family one more... though I wondered exactly how long that would last.

((I am so sorry this is late, guys... history is killing me right now. I have to write an essay, a letter, a newspaper article and have it due Friday... so updates may be a little slow. Oh, and to the guest who suggested I use defenestration, I looked up the definition and it said: 'The act of throwing someone or something out a window'... correct me if I'm wrong. But even if I am, I was amused by the definition I found XD))


	22. My First, and Maybe Last, Hockey Game

It was half an hour later when a very happy Feli and a smiling Ludwig walked into the living room. They had with them a pot of spaghetti and a smaller pot of sauce. I was quite surprised Ludwig was going to allow us to eat out here. It was so out of character for him... Feli must have used puppy eyes or something. Gil held me close and flipped us so he was pressed between me and the couch. I turned so my back was to him. The albino snuggled close, placing small kisses along my neck. I giggled a little when he found a sensitive spot. The married couple sat on the floor in front of us. Feli started bouncing a little.

"Ve~! Matteo, Gilbo get some food! Luddy let me make tons of pasta and there's garlic bread but only if we have enough room for it! So come eat!"

We both chuckled and did as the excited Italian said. The tall German got up and came back with plates, which Feli had forgotten. Somehow, he remembered to get forks... weird. The plates were distributed and we all got some pasta. Yet again it was amazing. Gil and I decided it would be easier to feed each other. Feli made airplane noises when we did that. Gil chuckled and also made airplane noises. Ludwig tried to feed Feli, but somehow missed and hit his husband's made an explosion sound when that happened, making me giggle. After we finished the entire pot of spaghetti, we munched on the garlic bread. Since Gil and I were occupying the couch, Ludwig just leaned his back against it and pulled Feli in his lap. He turned on the local news and the first thing to pop up was Gil's face

"Bruder... what the hell did you do?"

"Kesesese! I created awesomeness"

The German watched the albino and I on the news until the story was done. He sighed, but turned his head to give his frére a little smile.

"I suppose you did... 'create awesomeness'. For once"

"Hey, what do you mean 'for once'!? I create awesomeness all the time! The production line doesn't stop, Luddy! Not even when I'm far away and dreaming!"

I recognised the last part of his sentence as part of an Aerosmith song. I started humming it, figuring it out mentally. We would do that song for my next video. I guess I zoned out or something, because I jumped when Feli yelled and pointed at the TV.

"That was defenestration!"

We all started at him in shock. I didn't even know what that word meant... and I missed what happened on the TV before that, so I couldn't figure it out based on context. Feli smiled happily at us.

"Defenestration! It means throwing something or someone out a window! Fratello taught that to me when he was yelling at me"

"I have been waiting my entire awesome life for someone to use that word, kesesesese!"

"Ve! I wonder if the dogs have defenestrated each other!"

"Matthew, you don't understand what's going on either, ja?"

"O-oui... th-though I guess as long as they're having fun i-it's okay"

"Ja, I guess. Though if they start yelling about it or something idiotic like that, I might have to defenestrate them"

I laughed at that. Is... is it mean that the mental image of Gil flying out a window is funny...? I hope not... otherwise I'm a horrible person. There was more talk on defenestration, which then moved on to grammar and weird sentences that were grammatically correct. At that point I just flipped myself so I was facing Gil. He re-adjusted his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I snuggled close and let my eyes shut. While the German and the Italian were discussing... something, Gil was planting kisses anywhere he could reach. I knew my cheeks were tinted red by that point. The cuddling was so relaxing, I fell asleep for a little. I woke up (kind of) when Gil picked me up and carried me downstairs. I snuggled up to him once he set me on the bed. The albino took my pants off, making me blush scarlet. I heard Gil chuckle as he took off his own pants. He climbed on top of me and kissed me, slow and sweet. He pulled back when we were both panted a little and smirked.

"Mattie, do you like hocke-"

"O-oui"

"Gut! That means the awesome you just might maul the awesome me when I tell you we have four tickets to a Leafs game- Aaagh!"

I, ah... may have tackled Gil to the floor in happiness. Then I might have drowned him in kisses and cuddles. But what could I say, this was the first time I had ever gone to a Leafs game! Tickets to the games were very rare, so I had no idea how Gil's family had managed to get four. The albino somehow got me under control (after ten minutes of me thrashing and making odd noises) by basically caging me in his arms. Even though I was restrained, I still bounced a little and had a giant smile on my face. Gilbert rolled his eyes playfully and nipped the tip of my nose.

"I know it's exciting, but can the awesome you not practically kill me? I still have to drive us to Toronto"

"I-it's a home game... Gil, y-you do realise that I won't be able to s-sleep now, right?"

Gil smirked and picked me up again. He climbed on the bed and set me down, lying beside me. I snuggled up to him. The albino took off my glasses and set them on the nightstand. He pulled me close to his chest and set the blanket over us.

"Cuddling makes you sleepy... so this should work. If not, then I guess the awesome me will have to tire you out"

"H-how?"

"By tickling you to sleep"

"Th-that won't be necessary, heh... I-I think I'm sleepy after all"

"Well, the awesome me will give you awesome points for trying, kesesese!"

Gil then proceeded to hum a lullaby. Before I knew it my eyes were shutting. I snuggled closer to him and mumbled that he was a cheater before I blacked out. The next morning we were woken up by someone stomping upstairs. I pulled the blanket over my head, hoping the noise would just go away. But suddenly, the blanket was torn from me. I looked at the blanket stealer with an annoyed half-glare, until I saw that it was Feli. I sat up and poked Gil in the side. He whined and gave me the same look I'd given Feli. He then looked at the clock and smiled a little.

"Birdie... the game's in a few hours"

I smiled hugely at this. I couldn't wait to see if the Leafs would win! I had no idea how they were doing this season. But I hoped they were doing well... maybe they would make the playoffs! Well... they hadn't done that in decades.. but there was always and I hopped out of bed, exchanging a quick good morning kiss. Feli giggled. After that, all three of us went upstairs and sat at the table. Three plates of waffles were waiting for us there. We ate hungrily. Ludwig walked into the room when he heard our forks scrape the plates. He had on glasses and was holding a list.

"Alright. It is a very long trip to Toronto. Bruder offered to drive, so Feliciano, bring our iPod. Matthew, since you have a backpack you will be in charge of carrying everything. Can you do that?"

"O-oui.. what am I carrying?"

"Water bottles, snacks-"

"Meaning cinnamon buns?"

"Nein! We can't take them with us, but we can stop off and get some on the way"

"Keseseses awesome!"

"Anyways, you will also be carrying a change of clothes for each of us. I will hold the tickets, because otherwise they would get lost. Which would be tragic, because we have been waiting a very long time for this. Everyone, get dressed and meet me at the car in ten minutes. Matthew, I have taken the liberty of packing your bag for you. Your DSi and games are still in there"

I nodded and we all went our separate ways. Gil and I went downstairs to change. I tested the weight of my backpack, and it actually wasn't that heavy. I got dressed in jeans and a red sweater with a maple leaf on it. Gil got dressed in similar attire. He smirked and looked through his drawers for something. From the top right one, he pulled out blue and white facepaint. I grinned and we walked to the bathroom. When we came back out 'GO LEAFS GO' was written across our cheeks. We got upstairs and the albino handed the facepaint to his brother. Ludwig surprised me by actually allowing his husband to paint him. He did the same to Feli and we all looked at each other with goofy smiles. Laughing and joking, we walked to the car and started the long journey.

I knew Toronto was at least a two-week walk from our house. I didn't know how long it was driving. But considering how early we left, it was going to be a while. As was usual for a road trip, I looked out the window at the snow. I could almost imaging kids playing in it, throwing snowballs at each other. I remembered hitting Al square in the face and chuckled under my breath. It really was a glorious moment in my childhood. I chuckled again at the memory of my brother's shocked, snow covered expression. Of course, he got angry and literally buried me in snow after.

About an hour into the drive, I got bored. I grabbed my backpack and opened it, pulling out the DSi. I also got a Pokémon game out. With Gil's permission, I deleted the previous save and started over. Four hours later I had beat the game and gotten most of my Pokémon to level 100. Signs started popping up along the highway, saying we were close to Toronto. As soon as I told this to everyone, you could feel the excitement in the air. Gil somehow managed to stay physically calm enough to drive. But he was talking so fast and in a mix of languages that I couldn't understand him. The energy in the car was like an electric current as we entered Toronto. Ludwig checked his watch and nodded; I guessed we were on time. Gil parked the car and we started our walk to the Air Canada Centre. It only took a few minutes. Ludwig gave the person at the front our tickets. We got our seats, which were right in front of the sideboards.

"Birdie, the awesome me is going to die of excitement and awesomeness!"

"S-so am I... uh, I-I should probably mention.. I get a little... vulgar when watching h-hockey"

"Oooh, Birdie has a mean side, does he?"

"O-only when the Leafs are losing... o-or someone throws a really bad punch..."

Gil simply chuckled, probably not believing me. Well, he would be rather surprised when the game started, then. We talked amongst ourselves until the lights went down and the players skated onto the ice. Toronto was playing the Montreal Canadiens, which made hatred flash in my expression. For those that don't know, Toronto and Montreal have a long-standing rivalry. So you can imagine how much adrenaline was pumping through my veins. My first Leafs game, and it was against the Canadiens? My smirk was so big it rivalled Gil's. We stood up and sung Oh Canada, then the game started. Toronto won the faceoff and was speeding down the ice toward the opposing team's net, when one of the enemy intercepted the Leafs player. The Canadien also tripped the Toronto player. Naturally, I yelled at the ref, wondering where the penalty was. Ten minutes into the game, there was a fight between these two players. I think mon amour was surprised at how much I got into that fight. Well, I did warn Gil... it was his fault he didn't heed my words. It was a very good first period, with three fights, Toronto up two nothing and two Montreal players in the penalty box. The intermission started, and I sat back in my seat. I took a deep breath and smiled, calming down. Gil was staring at me. I simply chuckled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I-I told you"

"Ja, I know you did... but holy shit, Birdie! I didn't think you knew that many swearwords! By the way, what does 'puta' mean?"

"W-what's a female dog?"

"A bitch- oooooh... kesesesese got it! Me and Bruder and Feli will be right back, we're just going to get some food. Save our seats!"

I smiled and watched them go. I scanned the crowd, looking for more fellow Leaf fans. That's when I saw..._him_.

Immediately my pulse began racing. I could feel the blood draining from my face. I would know that jacket anywhere... and those buttons on it... th-that was Steven. Here. About three seats from me. Everyone else in our row had apparently decided to leave, so it was just him and me. I was praying he didn't look to his ri-

"Matthew? Is that you?"

I froze in place, screaming for Gilbert in my head, hoping he somehow got the message. I needed to have him here before Steven tried flirting with me or something.

"Ah, it _is_ you! Good to see you're still alive, kid. And it looks like you've even got yourself some new clothes. They look good on you"

GILBERT, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?


	23. Steven

"Hey, what's the matter kid? You look a little pale... surprised to see me, huh?"

All I could do was nod. My eyes were frantically searching the arena for any sign of white hair, slicked back blond hair or dark orange-y hair with a weird curl sticking out of it. It was like the family had gone to the bathroom all at the same time... in fact, that's probably what happened. I slowly looked back at Steven, my eyes constantly flicking back to all the places I thought at least Gil would be. Maybe if I found him, I could excuse myself from this conversation and run to him. Then I could explain that Steven was right freaking there and Gil would do something about it... hopefully. Maybe find us different seats?

"Kid? You didn't go mute, did ya?"

I shook my head no, though that didn't help my answer. Steven smirked, his brown eyes travelling over me. A lot like they'd done the first time we met. I frowned and glared at him, telling him to back off.

"Aww, your glare is adorable! I forgot about that. So, how ya doing?"

"G-good"

"Ah, Silent Music is silent no more! So... where did you go after you ditched the shelter?"

I sighed and winced, pushing back the memories of that day. Unfortunately, they found a crack in the wall I put up and totally destroyed it. The flashback came so vividly that I lost myself in it, totally forgetting reality for a few moments.

_"Hey, u-um, Stev? C-can I ask you something?"_

_"Sure, kid. Anything you want"_

_"Um... w-well, I know this is k-kind of... a-ah, d-do you w-want to go out with m-me?"_

_"Hell no!"_

_"W-what..?"_

_"Dude, I am not a rainbow-shitting fruitloop like you. I am not into having dicks shoved up my ass, comprende? That's probably how you get so much money anyways. You probably whore yourself to the guys in the crowd after. I'm amazed you can still walk. For that matter, I'm amazed that you can function at all, knowing you're going to hell"_

_"B-but... I-I thought-"_

_"That I'm gay? Hah, I think you need new glasses there, buddy. I'm like that to everyone. So whatever I did to make you think I was into cock sucking was wrong. So no. You can go make yourself feel better by buying a nice pair of shoes now. Isn't that what gays do? Or maybe a scarf. Hell, buy yourself a whole new outfit. See if your 'customers' like it"_

I bit my lip to keep the tears from escaping. His tone when he said those things to me... it was like being stabbed in the heart with a steak knife that was on fire. Now back in reality, I took my glasses off and wiped the few drops of water that escaped. I felt a hand on my face and I immediately jerked back.

"Don't touch me"

I glanced back at Steven and saw the shocked expression on his face. Five years ago, I would have given anything for that touch. But now I had a home, a family, a boyfriend... I didn't need Steven. He smirked and leaned in closer.

"You know, I don't believe you"

"Well you better fucking believe him and back off, before I slam your head on the glass, asshat"

My head whipped to the stairs where a furious Gil was standing in a very tense position. I shot out of my seat and didn't bother climbing the stairs. I jumped over the seats and landed in front of the albino, then hugged him with all my strength. His arms immediately wrapped around me and I felt his lips on my forehead, silently telling me everything was alright. I heard footsteps coming from behind me and knew Steven must have been close.

"Hey, you don't have to threaten me! Mattie and me go way back! Hasn't he told you about a guy named Steven?"

Gil growled loudly. That was obviously the wrong thing to say. Of course I'd told Gil about Steven... I had pretty much told Gil everything. I looked back at Steven and he looked scared. My violet eyes travelled to Gil's face. The albino looked calm... that is, until you got to his eyes. They were swirling masses of fiery red anger. His red orbs held all the hatred and disgust I felt, but couldn't show. He looked Steven over and smirked.

"Ja. Birdie told me about you. So you should be very happy your ass isn't halfway to the moon right now. I suggest you get back to your seat before the awesome me beats your face in"

Steven was about to say something when there was the voice of an elderly woman behind Gil.

"Stevey? Is there a problem here?"

The woman stepped around Gil and me to stand beside Steven. The older one looked me over and adjusted her glasses. Her face lit up in a smile.

"Oh! Isn't this your boyfriend?"

Steven's face went blank. I knew that look. He was formulating whether it would be worth the risk to say yes, or to just come clean and say no. His answer didn't surprise me.

"Yes"

The older woman nodded and looked at Gil and I. She walked up to me and looked me in the eye.

"Then what are you doing in his arms?"

"S-Steven and I aren't dating! This is the f-f-first time I've seen him in five years, ma'am"

Steven smirked.

"You have no proof of that"

Now it was Gil's turn to smirk. He pulled his iron cross from under his shirt. I got the message and pulled mine out. He then proceeded to tell my story in as much detail as I'd first told it. So there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that I was Gil's. How else would he know my story almost as well as me? The old lady frowned. She thought everything Gil had said over, analyzing every little detail. She fit it with whatever lie Steven had told her and sighed when she realised Gil was telling the truth.

"Then I appologise. But you," She looked at Steven. "You have some explaining to do. You told me everything you could remember about this poor man, so I would know if I saw him or talked to him. But, you lied about being his boyfriend, and from what the albino said, you weren't very nice when Matthew _did_ love you. What do you have to say for yourself? Was this all just a scam?"

Steven's mouth opened and closed as he tried to quickly think of an excuse. The senior's face pulled into a deeper frown, then as time ticked by, an angry expression. She thwacked him over the head with her handbag.

"So it _was_ all a lie! I brought you into my home, when you gave me that story about being a Portuguese exchange student looking for your boyfriend! I gave you money for school supplies, which I now know was used for anything but that. For all I know, you could have used it to go to a strip club or something equally as bad! As of right now, you are no longer living with me. We will go back to the house after the game is done and get your things. Then I never want to see you again, you rotten bag of dirt!"

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and buried my face in Gil's chest. He ran his fingers through my hair, probably hoping to keep me calm. There was more yelling from behind me. I didn't pay much attention to it though. I just focused on not soaking Gil's shirt with tears. The leaky dam that was holding them back was going to break any moment now. Steven and his now ex -housemate went to their seats. Gil picked me up and carried me to my seat, then sat down in it. He pulled me on his lap and held me close. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and buried my face in his neck. Gil rubbed my back and quietly told me that if I needed to cry, then I could. So, instead of letting only part of it out, I decided to just go for one intense crying session. I released the tears and was shaking from the intense, silent sobbing. I was finally finished with that ten minutes later. Once I lifted my head to wipe my tears, I saw that I had completely soaked the front of Gil's shirt. For some reason, I found this amusing. Gil just rolled his eyes and kissed my cheek. He then gave me a smile that was almost a smirk.

"Well, now I know what the bastard looks like... awesome! If I see him on the street can I beat his ass?"

I gave a breathy chuckle at that.

"I-I guess so... wait. W-weren't you going to get food...? A-and where's Ludwig and Feli?"

"They're probably coming with the food now. Luddy pointed out the sleezball was talking to you, so the awesome me ran over here. There was no way I would let anything unawesome happen to you"

"D-danke"

"Hey! I thought you didn't speak awesome German!"

"W-well, my boyfriend's Prussian... I've picked up a-a little"

I snuggled back into Gil's neck, not caring that his shirt was still really wet. Feli and Luddy came a few minutes later with the food. I was handed pizza, root beer and a bag of Aero Bubbles, mint flavoured. Those were gone rather quickly. The game started up again and I smiled, then smirked. I'm pretty sure Gil knew he was putting himself in danger by still holding me. But I guess he was counting on me not having as much energy as before due to the crying. Oh, Gil. Poor, mistaken Gil. If he didn't hold me down, I would have gone through the glass and picked a fight with one of the Montreal players for sacking one of the Leaf's players. It's a damn good thing the Canadien was getting a long penalty. Near the end of the game, I... I think I accidentally elbowed Gil in the face when Toronto scored the winning goal... oops. I cheered as loud as I could when Toronto won four to one. Once I was done cheering I sheepishly glanced at Gil. He raised an eyebrow.

"S-sorry for nailing you i-in the face..."

He chuckled.

"It's fine, Birdie. At least I know you've got a wicked elbow... do you think you could break through the glass and get me some ice, kesesese?"

"Non, I-i don't think that's a possibility... I-I can use some from your drink though"

"Mattie. If you dump it on me, it won't make much of a difference. I'm pretty sure my entire shirt is wet"

"W-well, at least you have a jacket"

"Ja, but I-"

"May we speak with you for a moment?"

The old woman and Steven were standing before us. I hid my face back in Gil's neck, not wanting to look at Steven. Of course, that blocked any escape for Gil. But I figured he could deal with this better than I could anyways.

"Ja, what is it?"

Steven sighed. "I'm sorry"

"For what, exactly? There's a lot of shit we expect an appology for"

Steven listed off everything he'd ever done wrong to me and appologised for them. The senior lady nodded in approval.

"Good. We will make our way back to Crescent Cross immediately"

As soon as they were gone, I looked at Gil.

"I-Isn't that... the name of our town?"

"Ja... fuck!"

"You took th-the word right out of my mouth..."


	24. Surprise Visit

As soon as Steven and the old lady were out of sight, my family and I stood up. I sighed and looked at the ground. Sadness was washing over me in tsunami-sized waves. I was surprised I wasn't crying yet. I looked at Gil and he was frustrated. Neither of us had expected Steven to live so close to home. For all we knew he could have lived beside us! I just hoped he went out of town quickly and we didn't see each other on the street. I would have to make sure Gil was with me at all times... though I didn't see that as being much of a problem. We were practically inseparable anyways.

"Bruder, you know what the unawesome dickass looks like now, ja?"

"Ja"

"If he leaves town, text me"

"Can't I just yell at you?"

"Nein. Birdie and me are going to visit Francine"

"Why?"

"Because she's awesome and Mattie needs to get his mind off this guy"

"Fine. I guess you are going now?

"Ja"

I smiled a little at the thought of Francine. It had definitely been a while since we saw her. Though I hope this time, if we went anywhere... she wouldn't kiss random girls at the bowling alley again. I didn't feel like running away from a brawny motorcycle gang- looking guy again. We walked out of the arena, only to find Steven standing there. He immediately walked over. Gil growled and stood in front of me.

"Hey, hey, no need to be so damned protective! I just want to talk to him"

"Not unless I'm there"

"Not gonna happen"

"Then nein, you can't talk to him"

"Why don't you let him make his own decision, pasty-face?"

I hugged Gilbert from behind to show that he was in the right. I didn't want to talk to Steven unless someone, even Feli were there. I heard Steven huff.

"What if the short one comes with Mattie? It'll just be a quick talk, I promise"

Gil and I looked back at Ludwig to see if Feli was allowed to go. Ludwig scanned all our faces. Much to my surprise, he sighed and nodded. I let go of Gil. He turned around and gave me a kiss, clearly stating that I was his. It was such a good kiss that it left me a little dizzy afterwards. I kissed Gil on the cheek, then followed Steven to a pillar. Feli stayed back a little. Steven leaned against the cement column and sneered.

"So. You got me kicked out. Wonderful"

"I-if you didn't lie in the first place, that wouldn't have happened"

"Yeah. Now, when the hell did you decide to move on from me?"

At that question I got slightly upset. Upset enough to not stutter. He was probably going to insult me... let's just hope he wouldn't insult Gil. Or I would go what I like to call 'hockey mode'. It's basically when I get like I was in the arena; screaming and yelling and getting violent.

"I decided to move on from you when I saw that you're an ass"

"Oh, _I'm_ the ass?!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Why am I an ass?!"

"You're an ass for leading me on, crushing my heart, and being a complete and utter dick now that I have someone! There's boundaries you just don't cross. Don't you dare flirt with me anymore, Steven. I don't want to see you again"

He was shocked. I had never stood up to him before. I was also yelling, which is a very rare thing for me. Conflict of any sort is rare for me too. Usually I avoid it at all costs, but... I was tired of Steven. He put on a pleading face.

"Come on, be reasonable Mattie-"

"Don't call me that. Only Gil's allowed to call me that"

He seemed a little surprised at that. His face pulled down into an angry frown.

"You know, it seems to me like he owns you. Maybe he bought you off the corner somewhere? How much did you charge, or did you decide to be a cheap whore?"

At that point, I... I kind of lost it. You can insult me all you like, but insult my boyfriend and get ready for hell. I glared as hard as I could as a warning for Steven to back off. he just smirked and kept going.

"How much did he buy you for, _Mattie_? I bet it was about as much as you're worth. Which is nothing"

After he was finished saying that, he was on the ground. I punched him in the face hard enough to make him fall. I split his lip, which wasn't that big of a price to pay. Not compared to how many of his bones I was thinking of breaking. I heard footsteps coming fast from behind me. I whipped around, relaxing a little when I saw that it was Gil. He had an amazed smile on his face. I turned back around and glared at the one on the ground. Steven was staring up at me with shocked brown eyes. He had never known me to hit anything. I hadn't even threatened to use violence. This was definitely a surprise.

Gil's arms wrapped around my waist. They were relaxed, so if I wanted to I could step away from him without any hassle. Steven stood up, still shocked. He tried to say something, but his mouth was just opening and closing like a fish's. He turned and ran to the parking lot. The old lady's voice came from behind us.

"Good job... I would have done that myself, but he probably would have fought back"

As she was walking by, we hi-fived. As soon as she was out of view I turned in Gil's arms and hugged him. I was mostly calm by now. Ludwig walked over and patted me on the back.

"That was a very good punch"

I chuckled. "Hopefully I don't have to do that again"

"And now the awesome me knows never to piss you off. Because when you punched him, he flew a few inches"

"Y-you're exaggerating"

"Actually, he's not"

"Ve, what happened? I was watching the snow! Oh, where did that random guy go?"

"Kesese! Far away from us, that's where"

Gil held me a little tighter and I felt his lips on the top of my head. We all walked to the car. Ludwig immediately went for the driver's seat, which meant Gil and I would be in the back. That was fine by me. Ludwig handed me my travel backpack. He took his and Feli's extra clothes out of it first, then zipped it back up.

"Bruder, do you still want to visit Francine?"

"Ja! Kesesese, wait'll she hears about this! My Birdie has got not only a wicked elbow, but an awesome punch!"

"...I'm pretty sure that's something to be a little worried about, Bruder"

"Why? This means Mattie can defend himself if the awesome me or slightly awesome you isn't around"

"B-but only if I get angry... which doesn't happen e-easily"

"What did he say to get you all riled up back there?"

I told everyone what Steven had said. Gil cracked his knuckles and glared out the windshield.

"If we see him again, I'm punching him into a brick fucking wall"

"O-oui. By the way... d-does Francine know we're coming?"

"Nein. We're gonna surprise her! Kesesese!"

I shrugged and snuggled close to Gil. During that conversation, Ludwig had started driving. By then we were on the highway. The car fell in a comfortable silence. I thought over everything that had happened in the last... hour and a bit. I had seen Steven again, exposed his lie to his landlady, stood up to him and punched him. I did kind of regret using violence, but if that was what made sure he stayed away from me and Gil, then fine. All in all, I thought it was good closure for me.

"Gil, h-how long is it to Francine's?"

"About two hours. Now show the awesomeme how the hell you got all your Pokémon to level 100 and beat the champion in four hours! I swear, that should be a record!"

I dug out the DSi from my bag and started a new game. For the next two hours, I showed Gil all my tactics for beating the game. When we pulled up to a driveway, I had just beaten Team Plasma and the champion. Gil was amazed. I put away the DSi and zipped the backpack back up, putting it over one shoulder. Francine came out of the house, smiling hugely. Both Gil and I flew out of that car to greet her... though Gil forgot to undo his seatbelt at first. He almost ripped it out, but at the last second he remembered there was an easier solution. Francine looked a little worried as we ran toward her. I got there first and gave her a hug. Gil hugged us both, laughing. She squeaked a little.

"M-mon amis... you are crushing me..."

We immediately let go, only to hug her again. This time it was more a hug and less of a death-grip. Ludwig honked the horn of the car, making me jump a foot in the air. Gil was laughing so hard he had to use the wall for support. I gently smacked him on the head and waved goodbye to Ludwig and Feli. They pulled out of the driveway and soon they were out of sight. Francine sighed, but had a smile on her face.

"Gilbert, what 'ave I told you about surprise visits?"

"That they're awesome and you appreciate them? Especially since Birdie's here?"

"Non- ah. Fine. I do appreciate seeing you, amis. But a moment's warning would be nice! I 'aven't gotten the opportunity to clean"

"And you think that's an issue for us? Francey-pants, we live in the basement. You know how messy it is. I don't know how Birdie hasn't tripped and broken something yet!"

"I-I have lots of practice with walking on u-unsafe things... namely, icey sidewalks"

"Ah... well, I suppose it's bon then... oh! You 'ave not met Antonio yet! Come in, come in! You must meet 'im!"

We were ushered in the house by a very excited Francine. She shouted something up the stairs that I didn't catch. She counted to three and someone ran downstairs. I guessed it was the one named Antonio. His hair was really messy, like he'd just woken up from a nap or something. His green eyes lit up in excitement when he saw us.

"Gilbert! Amigo, how are you! And who is this?"

"It's awesome to see you too, buddy! This is Birdie, my awesome boyfriend"

"Birdie... that's such a unique name! How did your parents come across it?"

Both Francine and Gil facepalmed at the same time.

"Ami, it is not his actual name. 'is name is Matthieu. Birdie is just a pet name"

"Oooh, okay! Hola, Mateo! I am Antonio"

"Bonjour, i-it's nice to meet you"

"You speak French? Cool! I bet you and Fancey Francey have had lots of interesting conversations!"

I chuckled a little. "Fancey F-Francey?"

"They make fun of me because j'aime expensive wine and the finer things in life. It wounds me so!"

She put her arm over her forehead and her hand on her heart for dramatic emphasis. I laughed. Gil started bouncing up and down.

"Guys! Guys! Guess what Mattie did!?"

"Quoi?"

"Que?"

"He punched a guy!"

"Really? Wow, we're so proud of you, Mateo! How hard did you hit him?"

Gil relayed the entire story, including what Steven had done to me. The other two nodded and smiled.

"Ami, I am proud of you for standing up for yourself!"

"Si! Now he'll leave you alone for sure!"

"Oh, and did the awesome me mention how unawesome this guy was?"

"Oui, you mentioned that once or twice. Now stop standing in the doorway and come in mon maison! I must show you around!"

Gil and I took off our shoes and followed Francine through the house. She showed us the one free guest room, which was where Gil and I would be sleeping. She showed us where the bathroom was (which was very important) and once she got to the last door, she held her breath. With a wide, dramatic sweep, she opened it. I gasped a little. This was a music room, with many different instruments. There was a drum set, a piano, a cello, an acoustic guitar, a french horn and various other instruments.

"Matthieu! Why don't you play something for us? See if you can play anything besides your violin"

I got over my shock and walked in the room. Piano looked the easiest to figure out, so I went to that instrument. I set my travel backpack down as I sat on the bench. I tapped a key and found the first note to Lips of an Angel by Hinder. I got the singing parts down with the right hand, then easily added the accompaniment with my left hand. I discovered what the pedals did at the bottom.

Smiling, I played the whole song, pedals and all. I played it softly, coaxing the sound out of the instrument. The sound filled the room. I was honestly amazed that I could pick up the piano as easily as the violin. Maybe it was just that I was used to doing things by ear, maybe it was that it was basically just tapping. I finished the song, drawing it out for a few moments. When I was done, I looked back at the three in the doorway. They were busy picking their jaws up from the floor. The first one to do anything was Francine. She marched over and demanded that I tell her where I learned that.

"I-I didn't learn it anywhere... I-I just found the first note and went from there"

"But that... you just... quoi..."

I heard Gil laugh deep in his throat. He walked over and kneeled beside the piano seat. he looked up at me, his ruby orbs filled with pride. Antonio also walked over. He tried to recreate what I just did, but hit a lot of the back keys. I giggled and played the song again, with all three people watching me carefully. Once I was done, I got a round of applause. I gave a tiny bow and smiled. This visit was sure to be fun!


	25. An Unexpected Talk

The three of them pressured me into playing more. For the next hour or so, they named songs and I played them. Gil told his friends to stick to popular songs, because that was mostly what I dealt with. I played everything from Eminem to Adele. Finally, they had run out of songs. I smiled and flexed my fingers. Gil smiled and hugged me, shaking his head a little.

"You're incredible, Birdie"

Francine and Antonio nodded in agreement. We walked out of the music room (I think Francine was starting to get a little jealous... oops) and went back downstairs. We went to a small living room, with two couches and a multi-coloured rug on the floor. There was shelf upon shelf of video games, a giant TV and probably every console you could play video games on. That included some handheld devices. I even saw a Gameboy Advance Colour in a glass case. I chuckled when I saw it. I remembered playing the Nemo game for the Gameboy. The three best friends plopped down on the couch. As there was nowhere else to sit, I sat on the armrest. I saw Gilbert smirk.

"Birdie, you can sit on my lap"

I nodded and curled up on him. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his cheek to the top of my head. I looked over at Francine, who appeared to be thinking. She was looking at the shelves of video games, trying to decide what to play. Antonio also thought for a few moments.

"Ah, mon amis... I cannot decide what to play... we 'ave finished almost all of these games"

"A-all of them? But there must b-be over one hundred!"

"Ja, and we used to get together and play a lot... the awesome me can't think of one we haven't finished"

"Si, I cannot think of one either! Wow..."

Francine made a face like she was trying to remember something. suddenly, there was a noise in the room. I looked around to see where it was coming from. The Frenchwoman smiled brightly and grabbed a bright red laptop from beside her. She set it on Antonio's lap so we could all see. She hit a button and suddenly someone's face was on the screen.

"Ah, bonjour, Francis! It 'as been too long, oui?"

My heart started beating like crazy at the mention of the name Francis. I had a cousin who was named that. He practically raised me, along with my other cousin Arthur. However, the chances of this Francis being the one I knew were quite slim.

"Mon ami, there is someone 'ere I would like you to meet!"

"Oui? Put the laptop on their lap then!"

Gilbert sat up a little so I could sit up straight. The laptop was set on my lap. Both Francis and I gasped. He leaned closer to the screen, a giant smile on his face.

"Matthieu? Is that you?"

"O-oui... Francis?"

Francis gasped and clapped. I had a huge smile on my face. It was so nice to talk to someone from my family who wasn't abusive or insane! Gil rested his head on my shoulder so Francis could see us both. The Frenchman smirked in that knowing way of his.

"It seems in the time I was gone you 'ave found yourself a lover?"

Gilbert went a little tense. I grabbed his hand and rubbed the back of it, telling him everything was okay.

"You're not homophobic, ja?"

Both Francine and I almost fell to the floor laughing. Francis didn't have a homophobic cell in his body. He supported love of any kind. He was also the person to help me realise my sexuality. Once Francine and I had stopped our laughter, we straightened up and wiped our tears of laughter. Francis did the same, so I guess he was laughing too. Gil was blushing slightly. I kissed his cheek and sent him a loving smile.

"Oh, oh mon dieu that was a good one, ami! Non, I am not 'omophobic"

I snuggled close to Gil while balancing the laptop on my hip. Francis gave me an adoring look.

"Matthieu... you 'ave grown up a lot since I last saw you. Your 'air is almost as long as mine! When was the last time you got it cut? Or did you miss grand frére that much that you wanted to look like me?"

"I-it was last cut five years ago"

"That is quite a long time... 'ave you been growing it out?"

"Well, I-I didn't have much of a choice... d-dad kicked me out five y-years ago"

Francis was shocked at this. His blue eyes widened and his long-ish blond hair got in his face. He swept it behind his shoulder and frowned.

"That is... quite surprising.. though it would explain 'ow you are so far from 'ome"

"I-I'm not that far from home... h-home is Gil's house"

"Ah. Gilbert, you 'ave been good to mon petit cousin, oui?"

"Ja... I think I've been awesome to him"

"Francis, y-you don't need to worry about that... Gil's been just a-amazing to me"

We talked for a while more. Francine and Antonio left the room halfway through the conversation, figuring it was a personal one. I told Francis all about the last five years. Surprisingly, I only teared up once. Gil held me tighter and kissed my neck when that happened. Mon cousin made an 'awww' sound, which brought me right out of the sadness. I blushed, smiled and leaned back against my lover. When Francis had to go, I frowned.

"F-francis, when a-are you coming back to Canada?"

"I will be back in a year, Matthieu. Do you 'ave any way I can contact you?"

"M-maybe my Youtube account?"

We gave each other the info to our Youtubes and Francis smiled sadly.

"Alright, I must go now. I will talk to you later, oui? Be safe, cousin. Je t'aime"

"Je t'aime aussi, Francis. Au revoir"

"Au revoir"

With that the screen said Francis had left. I sighed and set the laptop back on the table, curling up in Gil's lap after. It was... slightly painful to see Francis's expressions as I said what had happened. I always hated seeing Francis, the only family member I wanted to see (besides Arthur, of course) frown. Gilbert kissed my forehead, bringing a light blush to my face. He smiled gently.

"You'll see him in a year, ja? By the way, the awesome me likes him... not everyone in your family is that awesome, though..."

"Non... h-he and Arthur are the only ones I can stand t-to be around"

Gil sighed and nodded. I frowned. I didn't want Gil feeling sad too! I pulled him down for a kiss. He kissed back immediately, smirking into it. I threaded my hand in his silvery white hair as he deepened it slightly. He pulled back just a little and I think he was going to try to french me, but we were interrupted by Francine. She tapped both of us on the head and had a smirk.

"Mon amis, the food is ready!"

"Is it Chinese food?"

"Oui! That is customary for our visits, ami"

I smiled brightly. I hadn't had Chinese in a very long time. We got up and went to the table, where everything was laid out for us. Francine handed us plates and forks. I took a little of everything and sat beside Gil, who was already eating. There was so much there that we had seconds. For dessert we had pumpkin pie, with lots of whipped cream. I... somehow managed to get the whipped cream all over my face. Gil smirked evily before licking all of it off. I squeaked when he did that. Francine and Antonio cat-called, which made me blush darker than I already was. I was definitely going to have to find a way to get Gil back after this.

After he was finished licking my face, he pulled back with a pleased smirk. I just rolled my eyes and hid behind my sweater. However, Gil wouldn't stand for that. He pulled me in his lap, then kissed me. I heard the other two leaving the room, so I made myself comfortable and enjoyed the kiss. Gil's hand went under my sweater and slowly slid up my bare back. I gasped a little. He smirked and pulled back.

"Your back's sensitive?"

"O-oui..."

"Then how does a backrub of awesomeness sound?"

"Um... m-maybe at bedtime?"

Gil nodded and kissed me quickly, before we stood up. There were the sounds of a video game coming from the living room. Francine and Antonio were playing a hunting game for the Wii. Gil and I sat on the couch and watched them play for a few hours. They were... amusingly bad at the game. They swore and freaked out when a bear was coming at them. Gil laughed at his friends, while I just smiled. Halfway through the gaming session, Gil seemed to remember something. He went out to the kitchen and it sounded like he was making a call. I followed, not sure if I was supposed to or not. Gil saw me and walked over to the wall. he leaned on it and pulled me close to him. I rested my head on his chest and listened to him speak. He was talking to Tino... right! I forgot we had work tomorrow... and we probably wouldn't be back in time for it. I guessed that was why Gil was calling. He hung up with a smirk and looked down at me.

"Well, Birdie, I have some awesome news"

"A-and what might that news be?"

"The pancake place is going to be renovated, so we get the month off! And the best part is, we'll be paid while that's happening"

I smiled brightly at him. Paid vacation sounded good! I nuzzled Gil's neck and sighed happily. We went back to the couch and watched our friends play for a little longer, before we were all yawning. It was already two in the morning... oui, it was definitely time to sleep. Francine informed us that we'd be taking the one free guest room. Gil immediately scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the room. He set me on the bed, then went back downstairs. Gil returned with the backpack. We got changed into pj pants. Gil climbed on the bed first, smiling and patting the spot next to him. I took off my glasses and set them on the small nightstand, then joined him. I snuggled close to him, wrapping my arms around him. But he apparently had a different idea. He slipped out of my hold. I looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Still want that backrub, Birdie?"

I smiled and nodded. Gil gently pushed me so I was lying on my stomache. Gil trailed his fingers up and down my spine, making me twitch a little. He applied light pressure with his nails and ran those all over my back. He even gave me a shoulder massage, saying how weird it was that I wasn't tense. By the end of it I was completely relaxed. I flipped on my back and smiled.

"Y-you're good at that"

"Danke, Mattie.. sleep time now?"

"O-oui... sleeping would be good"

Gil nodded and flopped beside me. I snuggled close to his chest, placing a quick kiss there before nuzzling the spot. Gil chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. He pulled the blanket over us and kissed my forehead.

"Guten nacht, mein vogel"

"Bon nuit, Gil. I-I love you"

"I love you too, Birdie"

I blushed a little and smiled. This visit to Francine's house had pretty much cancelled out the bad part of the day. It was good to get a rest from everything before possibly having to see... _him_ again.

((*sigh* hey guys... I'm sorry that this is super late, but... my girlfriend has been having some massive issues at home. I've been trying as hard as I can to support her... but we lost contact yesterday. Her parents are really cracking down on her. I don't know how long this is going to last, so don't expect fast updates... on a lighter note, since we're probably going to hit 300 reviews, I've decided to do a prize fic for the 300th reviewer! I'll tell you guys the details next time I update. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and/or followed this... you guys continue to amaze me with how much you like this story :) ))


	26. Hurt

I didn't sleep very well that night. I'm not sure if it was because of the bed, or the fact that I was happy to see Francis again, but I kept waking up. It was three in the morning when I finally decided to just give up on sleeping. I sighed and turned on my back. Gil wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer.

"Can't sleep either, Birdie?"

"Non... I-I don't know why"

"The awesome me hasn't been able to sleep at all. I'm not used to such a small bed, compared to ours at home. At least one thing didn't change"

"A-and what's that?"

"There's cutie in bed next to me"

I swear I could hear the wink in his voice. I flushed a dark red and snuggled closer to Gil. He chuckled and adjusted his arms so that I wasn't crushing them... though I didn't think I was capable of that anyways. Sure, I had gained a few pounds since I got to Gil's place, but I was still pretty thin. I guess that was just natural for me. The blanket had slipped down over my shoulders, making me cold. There was a breeze... was the window open? I blinked a few times and looked to see that it was indeed open. Gil held me as close to him as he possibly could. It was still a little cold, but mon amour was warm. The silence was strange, like Gil wanted to tell me something. After a few moments, I lifted my head. Gil's face was illuminated by the moonlight, so I could see that he was biting his lip. He looked like he was trying to decide on something. When Gilbert caught me looking, he tried covering up with a smooth grin. Of course, I didn't buy it.

"Gil, i-is something wrong?"

"P-pshh, nein! Why would the awesome you think... tha... fuck it, fine. The awesome me's too tired to fake it"

Gil shifted a little and held me closer. He placed soft kisses all over my face and neck before pressing our foreheads together.

"The awesome me's just wondering... what are we going to do now that Ick-ven is back in town?"

I though about it for a few moments.

"W-well, I would hope that he's already gone on... b-but our town is in the middle of nowhere a-and he probably knows it. Maybe he's going to try his luck o-on a different way out of town. Just in c-case, um... if I ch-choose to go outside, you'll come with me, right?"

"Of course! The awesome you will be safe as long as the awesome me's around, Birdie"

I nodded and moved my head up a little. Gil playfully rolled his ruby eyes and kissed me. He tightened his arms so there was no way I could escape. Not that I wanted to, of course. I cupped his cheek with my hand and rubbed my thumb over his cheekbone as we kissed. Gil seemed to like that. We kissed until we were both slightly dizzy from lack of breath. Gil pulled back first and grinned softly.

"The awesome me loves you, Birdie"

"Je t-t'aime aussi, Gil... w-what are we going to since neither of us can sleep?"

"Hmm... the awesome me doesn't know. Maybe we could go downstairs and watch a movie or some shit like that?"

"O-or, if it's okay of course, I could kick your butt in Mario K-Kart again?"

Gilbert's grin was more pronounced now. He gave me a quick peck on the lips and sat up.

"The butt-kicking is not okay, but playing the game is. Francey-pants won't mind and Toni sleeps like a rock anyways"

I giggled a little and we both went downstairs. Gil got everything hooked up and gave me a controller. He sat on the couch and pulled me in his lap. I grabbed a blanket that was on the floor and wrapped it around us. We played the game while snuggling and being warm. Gil actually beat me a few times, but only because I was distracted by, well, him. Every now and then he'd look down at me with a loving smile. Every time I blushed and melted in his arms just a little. Which usually made me fall off the track or get hit by a car or something. I know he wasn't doing it on purpose because whenever he tried it like that, I ignored him. Mostly. When it was about seven I finally yawned and rested my head against Gil's collarbone. I closed my eyes and within three seconds of doing that, I was out cold.

When I woke up again I was being carried into our house. I opened my eyes a little and saw Ludwig carrying me. That was strange... where was Gil? I looked around, trying to locate white hair and red eyes. But I couldn't find any sign of mon amour. I wriggled out of Ludwig's arms and landed on my feet. He seemed surprised and stopped walking. I looked at him worriedly.

"W-where's Gil?"

"He saw Steven and handed you to me. If you're going to look for him, he went in that direction"

Ludwig pointed left. I ran inside the house, put on a sweater and some jeans, got on my shoes and came back out. I took off, sprinting in the direction the tall German had pointed in. Since we had still been outside, Gil couldn't have gotten far. Right? I certainly hoped so, because I still didn't know the town very well. When I came to the end of the street, I looked around. There was an intersection. Gil could have gone any way. But my gut told me he went right. As my gut instinct was usually correct, I followed it. I ran down that street. The only thing I could hear was my feet slapping the pavement and my heart about to fall out of my chest. Gil wasn't there, and there was no sign of him yet.

I was running for about twenty minutes, until a familiar feathered friend showed his face. Gilbird cheeped in worry and started flying. I followed him down several run-down streets, past many guys and girls who looked like if they wanted to, they could kill me in an instant. This only served to make me push myself harder. Gilbird made noises every once in a while. I took these, and the fact that they were getting more frequent as a sign that we were getting closer. We rounded the corner where an apartment building stood and I could hear voices. One of them was Gil's, I was sure of it! There were at least two more... this couldn't be good. Gilbird buried himself in my hair. I ran down a few more streets, following the voices. Finally, Gilbert came into view. But, so did two other people. One I immediately identified as Steven. The other looked much tougher than Gil or Steven. I gulped and continued running. Suddenly, the loud arguing they were doing exploded into a fist-fight. Steven grabbed Gil and the big guy was about to punch Gil, but he kicked the other's large fist away. I ran between them, wrestling Gil free from Steven's hold. Gil's dark red eyes widened when he saw me.

"Birdie? What are you doing here!?"

"I-I could ask you the same thing!"

The tougher-looking guy shifted and cracked his knuckles.

"What the freak was doing here was messin' with Steve. And you don't mess with Steve without messing with Fernando"

Sensing there was about to be another fight, I tried to calm everything down.

"Ah, w-well I'm sorry he tried to do that, but-"

"Birdie, Steven called you a whore and asked me why I was dating you when I knew you would go around fucking everybody! Do you really think I could stand by and let him say that?"

"Gil, j-just... uh, we'll be leaving now"

I firmly grabbed Gil's hand and turned to leave. However, I felt my shoulder grabbed. I froze.

"Hah, I don't think so, buddy. Stevie's told me all about how you lied and got him kicked out of his grandma's place. So you know what? Now you gotta pay. I'd say... a thousand bucks"

"Oi! Neither of us have that kind of money! Just let him go, and I won't kick your unawesome, fat ass"

I was let go, but instead Gil was caught. His arms were pinned behind his back. Acting on total adrenaline, I kicked Fernando where the sun doesn't shine. He immediately let go of Gil and fell to his knees, crying out in pain. I looked at Steven, who was just staring at me in shock. He could see my scared expression and knew I wouldn't do anything unless Gil was in danger. But suddenly, he smirked and snapped. Three more people stepped out of the shadows of the alley we were in. Gil cracked his knuckles and tried to protect me from all angles as best he could. However, the four of them circled us. Steven snapped once more and the three thugs attacked.

I honestly can't tell you what happened next. All I remember is fists and blood flying, Gil getting hurt and a lot of pain along my arms and back. The last thing I can recall is kicking one of the guys in the face so he'd let go of Gil. Then all I saw was black. I must have blacked out for a while, because when I woke again I heard beeping. Beeping? What? I slowly opened my eyes and found the room around me to be white. A monitor was hooked up to me. I looked around frantically now, trying to locate anyone in my family. The monitor started beeping like crazy. A nurse hurriedly walked in and sighed. Well... I guessed I was in the hospital. Lovely.

"Honey, calm down. You're going to give yourself a heart attack"

"Where's G-Gil?"

"Mr Beilschmidt? I don't think it would be wise to bring him up until you've relax-"

"P-please! Bring him up!"

I looked at the nurse with big, pleading eyes. My heart monitor was getting faster. Sighing again, she left. I took a deep breath. I also took the opportunity to look around my hospital room. It was white, as I said before. The bed wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't like the one at home. There was a curtain separating me from the other patient in the room. There was a little bathroom off to the side and a window with the curtains drawn. I frowned at that and tried to get up, but the wires connecting me to the monitor stopped me from doing anything but sitting up and moving a little away from the bed. I sighed, much like the nurse had, and just sat on my hospital bed. Beside me was a table with a vase of roses and a note. I leaned closer, struggling to read the messy scrawl without my glasses. I could make out the word 'Birdie'... I guessed the flowers were from Gil. I picked up the note and a flower. I held the note close to my face so I could read it. It said:

_Dear Birdie,_

_If you're reading this, then the awesome me is crying with happiness. You lost a hell of a lot of blood by the time we dragged ourselves home. Feli's the same blood type as you, so he gave you some. The awesome me is fine, by the way. I guess you protected me better than I protected you, huh? Oh ja, these roses are for you. I figured you'd like them_

_-Gilbert_

I smiled and smelled the rose I had picked up. It had a faint scent of Gil's cologne, so I knew it was definitely from him. I was re reading the note a second time when I felt someone sit on the bed. I looked up and could just barely make out white hair and red eyes. I tackle-hugged Gil and started crying. He wrapped his arms securely around me. I felt tears on my neck and looked up, knowing full well that I wouldn't be able to see anything. I patted his face a few times before I actually found his cheek. He put my glasses on my face. Now I could finally see him. There were bags under his eyes, so I guessed he hadn't slept for a while. He was crying almost as much as I was. I kissed up and down his neck, hoping to make him feel better. Gil hugged me again and buried his face in my hair.

"B-Birdie... fuck, liebling I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have gone after him without you telling me I could or something..."

"G-Gil... just shut up and hug me. You're f-forgiven"

"Really? J-j-just like that?"

"Oui... amour, I love you too much to be angry a-at you right now. Though th-that might come later"

Gil finally smiled.

"The awesome me doesn't care, then... I just care that you're finally awake"

"H-how long was I out for?"

"A few days... the awesome me stayed by your bedside every day for as long as I could"

At this I started crying more. Gil had probably not slept at all those days that I was out cold. He got me to the hospital, stayed with me and got me roses. At that moment, I didn't care that Gil and I probably would have died in the fight, nor did it matter that we were in a hospital. All that mattered was that we were both safe.

((Guess who's back? Me :D! Everything calmed down at my gf's place, so I don't have to worry too much anymore. I hope you all had an awesome Easter and a cool April Fool's day :)~))


	27. Home Again

When I finally stopped crying, I lifted my head. I smiled softly at Gil. His answering smile was the most loving he'd ever given me, so of course I nearly melted on the spot. He let go of me, only to sit cross-legged on the bed and pull me in his lap. As he was pulling me, I felt a slight breeze on my backside. Which meant my hospital gown was open at the back. I blushed at this and hid my face in Gil's neck. He lifted my head off him with a finger, clearly questioning as to why I had suddenly got embarrassed. I blushed more and looked away.

"Th-the hospital gown's... o-open at the back"

"The awesome me knows. But why did you do your cute little 'hide in Gil's neck' thing?"

"W-well, because n-now you can.. y-you know, s-see my..."

"Butt?" Gil chuckled and shifted me a little. "Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later... besides, it's only your ass. Nothing I haven't seen before"

"Q-quoi?!"

"Oi! You can't blame the awesome me for accidentally turning too soon while you were getting dressed a few times!"

I rolled my eyes playfully and smiled. I guessed I wouldn't get him in trouble for that because it was accidental. Gil kissed the top of my head, making my heart monitor go faster. He chuckled, which only served to increase the beeping machine's speed. I wished I could control my heartbeat just this once... for some reason, it was weird having him know how easily his actions affected me. A mischievous glint entered Gil's eyes. He leaned down and kissed me. But oddly enough, my heartbeat slowed down. I wrapped my arms around Gil's shoulders and kneeled to get a better angle. Gil's hands immediately covered my backside. I smiled a little into the kiss at that. When we pulled back, we were both taking big breaths. I settled back in Gil's lap and smiled.

"Mr Beilschmidt?"

A male voice said that as we heard footsteps coming into the room. I peeked over Gil's shoulder at the doctor who had just walked in. The doctor rounded the corner of the bed and sat in the chair by it. He gave me a warm smile.

"Ah, you're finally awake. You've been in a coma for four days. Gilbert here wouldn't leave until a few of the nurses had to drag him out. And even then he wouldn't leave the hospital. He has a kind of camp in the waiting room"

I rolled my eyes at this. That sounded exactly like something Gil would do. The doctor clicked a pen and wrote a few things down.

"Matthew, I'm going to unhook you from the IV and the heart monitor. I need you to do a few tests for me. And yes, your boyfriend can come with you"

I sighed in relief and we all got up, after I had been unhooked of course. Gil and I followed the doctor out of the room and down a few halls, until we reached an office. The doctor opened a door for us and we stepped in. The office was really nice. It had a couch, comfy-looking chairs, a plastic model of a human skeleton and various medical posters. There were also some plants and pictures of people who he'd probably helped to get better. The desk was very organised and had a jar with some lollipops in it.

"Please, take a seat. I just need to do some general testing to see if you're okay to go home. You really have made a remarkable recovery. Oh, Gilbert? Would you like to go into the hall and call your brother to pick you and Matthew up?"

Gil nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him. The doctor sighed in relief and gave a tired smile.

"Matthew, I have never seen that level of devotion. I think he's a keeper... even if he is as stubborn as they come. Anyways, how do you feel?"

"Um... like normal, e-except for my arms and back feel weird..."

"Have you not seen your injuries yet?"

I shook my head and the doctor dragged a full-body mirror over. I pushed up the sleeves on my hospital gown and my eyes widened. There were stitches all up my arms, where there had no doubt been knife wounds. I turned around and there were several lines of stitches on my back, each about ten to twenty centimeters long. I began counting all the stitches, but lost count somewhere around thirty. The doctor looked at me trying to count and just told me how many stitches needed to be put in me. There was about fifty five stitches in total.

"Well... th-that's going to hurt coming out"

"Yes, it will. But you seem to have a high pain tolerance, so I'm not worried about that. Have a seat again"

I did as he asked and he gave me a general check-up. He hit my knee with the hammer and put the popsicle stick in my tongue to check for anything wrong in my throat. He then led me to a table where I was given a physical (which I didn't like at all). The last thing I had to do was walk around and see if I felt dizzy or like I was going to faint. I passed all the tests. We sat down again and the doctor finished writing everything down.

"Alright... Matthew, you have mad a stunning recovery. There is no point in keeping you any longer, because there's really nothing else we can do. If you do faint or have extreme dizziness, go to your family doctor, okay? Also, in about four weeks time you should come back here to get your stitches removed"

I nodded. The doctor disappeared in a room and brought me my clothes. I inspected the damage done to them. As I expected, the knife that had been used to cut me went right through my clothing. Well, at least I wasn't wearing the Walking Dead sweater... I would have hated for that one to get cut up. I put on my jeans, thankful to have something covering me. I also put on my sweater, though it didn't provide much coverage. I looked at it in the mirror and it was all ripped up in the back. The doctor went to the door... and unlocked it for Gil, who was annoyed that he had apparently been tricked. He saw me frowning at my sweater.

"Damn... I didn't realise how cut up that thing got... do you want my sweater instead, Birdie?"

"O-oui... when are Ludwig and Feli going to be here?"

"They'll be here in soon. Feli apparently went crazy with happiness when Luddy told him you're healthy now"

"Well, we do still have a few, minor concerns, such as the small chance of infection... but other than that, he's fine. Oh, and I guess I should ask this. Matthew, was this traumatic for you, so much that you need professional help?"

I shook my head no. Honestly... this didn't affect me as much as it probably should have. I guessed the five years had desensitized me to this kind of thing. Gil took off his sweater and gave it to me. I put it on gratefully. It was huge on me, but that was okay. It was almost as comfy as the Walking Dead hoodie. I put on my shoes and we got some papers and things, telling us symptoms that would mean we had to come back. We thanked the medical staff who had taken care of me and waited in the parking lot for our ride home. We sat on the curb, our chins on our hands.

"So, did you see your stitches?"

"O-oui... there's a lot of them..."

"Ja... you did get pretty injured though... by the way, the awesome me grabbed the flowers while you were in the office"

He handed me the small bouquet with a slight blush. I guessed he wasn't used to giving gifts. I kissed him on the cheek as a reward and smelled the flowers. They still smelled faintly of Gil. I heard Gil yawn and a lightly smacked his shoulder.

"Oi! What was that for?!"

"F-for not sleeping"

"Well, the awesome me wanted to be there when you woke up! The only reason I wasn't was because the nurses were making me sleep"

"E-even still, if I ever get hurt again p-please get some rest. I-I don't know how you're functioning properly a-at this point"

Gil scooted closer and wrapped an arm around my waist. I rested my head on his shoulder and we waited for the car to show up. It was about five minutes later when the white car drove up beside us. Feli jumped out of it and hugged me tight. I made a small noise of pain and he let go. But he was still smiling and happy.

"Ve! Matteo, I'm so glad I could help you! Gilbo and Luddy were really scared for you. They both started crying when they heard it could be a while before you woke up but here you are, four days later, feeling buono!"

"I-it's... um... interesting to hear that! I didn't th-think Ludwig would be crying too... I-I kind of figured Gil would be bawling"

"Oi! I wasn't bawling!"

"Si, you were! You were crying so hard I thought your eyes were going to pop out!"

"Ja, ja, let's just get in the car. The awesome me really needs a nap once we get home"

We piled into the car and Ludwig drove off. Once we were on the highway, the German decided to start asking some things.

"So, Matthew, erm... how are you feeling?"

"W-well, besides the fact that I probably h-have a meter or two of thread in me, I'm feeling like normal"

Gil chuckled at that and nuzzled my head. His eyelids were beginning to droop, so I knew for sure he'd be passed out before we got home.

"Did you dream while you were in the coma?"

"Non. I-I didn't even know I was in a coma u-until someone told me.. I-I just thought I passed out"

"Ah. It's a very good thing Feliciano is the same blood type as you... though it isn't so good that after they took the blood, he passed out"

"Hey! That needle was big and scary! It was almost as big as your-"

"MOVING ON! We have a surprise for you at home, Matthew"

"A-a surprise?"

I could feel the beginnings of a grin spread across my face. It had been a long time since anyone had given me anything as a surprise gift. Sure, getting the clothes and things when I first came to Gilbert's house was surprising, but that was only because I didn't think they'd actually want me to stay. I glanced over at Gil and he had now passed out. I snuggled close to him and closed my eyes. I had just been sleeping (technically) for four days, so I wasn't very tired. The car ride was short compared to all our other trips, so Gil didn't get much of a nap. When we finally pulled into the driveway of our house, I poked Gil awake. He made a small, annoyed sound but got up anyways. He tiredly walked into the living room and decided that the floor would be a comfy place to sleep. Ludwig walked into the kitchen and as soon as my shoes were off he gave me a box. I sat beside Gil on the floor and opened it. Inside was a square Ipod, three CDs and a set of high-quality headphones. I gasped and took out each item with care. The CDs were Aerosmith's greatest hits, the top 20 songs of 2012 and a The GazettE CD. I figured out how to work the Ipod and found all the songs from the CDs were on it already. I hugged Gil first, even though he had passed out. I then got up and hugged Feli and Ludwig.

"Th-the gifts are amazing! M-merci beaucoup for getting them for me"

"It's no problem, Matteo! We figured you could always use some more songs to play on your violin"

"O-oh! Speaking of it, w-where is it?"

"Downstairs on the desk. It's safe, don't worry"

I nodded and the married couple went to take care of the dogs. I spent the rest of the afternoon listening to the songs on my Ipod. I had figured out how to play most of them by the time dinner rolled around. I just ate a little of food before returning to watch Gil sleep and finish figuring out how to play the rest of the songs. I checked up on my stitches every once in a while. I kind of looked like Frankenstein, I noted with a chuckle. When it was bedtime, Ludwig picked up his passed out brother and carried him downstairs. I followed and somehow managed to get Gil's shirt off. I just took off my pants and put on boxers. The sweater I was wearing was really comfy, okay? Gil woke up just long enough to snuggle with me under the covers before passing out again.

I couldn't sleep at all, so I just lied there, watching Gil. At two in the morning, however, I was bored. I slipped out of Gil's hold and put on pajama pants, then grabbed my violin. I silently made my way up the stairs and to the second level. I climbed onto my spot on the roof and looked over the sleeping town. Everything looked so peaceful. The snow wasn't too high, which was good. I got comfortable and looked at my violin, wondering what to play. I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing by Aerosmith came to mind first. I really loved that song... the violin to accompany it would be complicated, but if I had done Dragonforce I could do anything. I started softly playing the song. I also started singing quietly. But by the middle of the song, I was playing and singing at regular volume. I didn't think I could do the rock scream that Steven Tyler did, but I tried anyways. I thought I did a pretty good job. When I ended the song I just sat there, letting the peaceful feeling wash over me. The song really was lovely, and playing it gave me the same warm feeling I got from listening to the original. I relaxed on the roof, just listening to the silence. Though that didn't last long, as I heard clapping behind me. I looked behind me, and there was Gil. He climbed on the roof with me and wrapped his arms around me.

"And you told me you couldn't sing"

"I-I can't"

"You're kidding the awesome me, right? You have the most beautiful... pure voice I've ever heard. If anyone autotunes you I'm killing them"

I chuckled softly at that and blushed at his compliments. We sat there in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's company. Gil was warm, which was good. I didn't want my mending threads to freeze and crack or something. I rested my head against his chest and smiled as we watched the town. This seemed like a pretty good ending to a really bad four days.

((Okay! Last update, I forgot to put the rules for the 300th reviewer thing. If you're the 300th reviewer and you decide to go anon, please tell me the pairing and situation you would like me to write. I will not do PruAus, PruHun, USUK, RusCan and Prussia x Russia... I just don't like those pairings . also, please don't make me write any smut... I won't be able to))


	28. Goodbye Forever

I snuggled close to Gil's chest and sighed in happiness. It felt so safe all wrapped up in his arms. I kissed his neck and got a deep, low chuckle as a reply. Then I thought of something.

"Gil? D-did I wake you up when I came up here?"

"Nein. The awesome me randomly woke up and you weren't with me. I was freaking out for a little, until I thought to look for you up here. I got up here just in time for the performance"

I blushed a little at that. It wasn't much of a performance, just me singing and playing. I didn't think I was singing that well either. Together we looked out on the buildings and town square. A solitary figure walked across the square, near the fountain. The figure's shoulders were hunched over and they were moving slow, like they were very sad. I tapped Gil's shoulder and pointed to the figure. We watched as the person got closer. Finally, the figure passed under a street light. I saw the jacket, and immediately knew who it was: Steven. Gil also recognised Steven. He growled under his breath. I kissed his jaw line to tell him it was okay. Steven couldn't hurt us from up here. Steven also looked up and stopped. He decided to call up to us.

"Matthew, Gilbert is that you?"

"Ja. What do you want, arschloch?"

Steven shifted his weight a little. He looked behind him, like he was scared someone was going to come up behind him.

"Well, I wanted to talk to Matthew"

"I-I'm right here. What did you w-want to say?"

"...I know this is really lame and doesn't cover really any of what I've done to you, but... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making your life hell, I'm sorry for hurting you, and I'm sorry that I couldn't leave well enough alone. Hopefully we won't see each other again... I'm going to go see my cousin in Toronto. Maybe he'll let me stay"

"Do y-you have enough food and water to at least g-get to the next town?"

"I don't know... how far is it?"

"A-about a five day w-walk"

"...Yeah, I don't have enough"

As much as I didn't like him... I didn't want him to die on the walk. It was already cold out, and it would probably get colder. I looked at Gil and he rolled his eyes, but let me go. I heard him call down to Steven.

"Birdie's getting you some food, you lucky schlamp"

"...Really?"

"Ja"

That was the last of the conversation that I heard. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed an empty bread bag. I put some cold cut meat in it, some cheese, lettuce and five cookies. I also ran to the basement and got some money for him. I gave him thirty dollars, which would be hopefully enough for a while. I went silently out the front door. Steven was waiting there for me. I handed him the bag. He opened it and looked in it.

"You gave me money, too?"

"O-oui... that way maybe you can bribe someone to take you to Toronto o-or something"

"Matthew, I... I don't understand something. How can you be so nice to me after... after I sent you to the hospital, attacked your boyfriend, called you all those mean thi-"

"J-just shush. I don't think I-I'll ever really be able to forgive you, but... it doesn't make sense to me to do something m-mean back to you when you just apologised. Plus, I don't want you to die out there. Th-the only reason I survived was because Gil picked me up. The next town does h-have some nice people who offered me a place to stay. Maybe they'll d-do the same for you. Do you st-still have your violin?"

Steven smiled a little and pulled it out of his backpack. I nodded and looked back at Gil, who was tense. I waved to him, hoping that would brighten his mood a little. He waved back and smirked a little. I turned my attention back to Steven, who was biting his lip.

"Hey, uh... how... how bad were you hurt?"

I took off my sweater and turned so he could see all the stitches. He gasped.

"I-I..."

I put my sweater back on and zipped it up.

"I-I was in the hospital for four days. I was in a coma, and I just w-woke up this afternoon. Gil stayed at the hospital with me all the days I-I was there"

"And the doctors let him?"

"What c-can I say? Gil's as stubborn a-as they come"

"You're damn right I am!"

I smiled and shook my head at Gil's remark. Steven took one last look in the food bag and put it in his backpack. He looked at me again, and I knew this was it.

"Well... I guess this is goodbye..."

"I-I guess so.. Take care of yourself, a-alright?"

"Yeah, you take care too"

We shook hands and Steven walked away, out of the town limits and out of my life forever. I walked back up the stairs and to the roof, where Gil was waiting patiently for me. I climbed in his lap and kissed his cheek. He watched Steven go for a little, then his eyes flicked back to me.

"So, what did you give him?"

I listed off everything, including the money. Gil looked like he was going to say something to that, but thought better of it.

"You know, I'm surprised that you actually gave him the stuff"

"W-well, I don't want him to die"

"Ja... can we hope he gets hit by a car?"

"I-I guess you can, if you want..."

"Alright, then I will"

"Y-you do that"

I rested my head against Gil's chest. He ran his fingers through my hair, which was quite relaxing. I found myself dozing off after a little. However, I forced myself to wake up in order to grab my violin and ask Gil if we could go back inside. His responce was to carry me to the basement and take off my snowy pajama pants. He also took off his pants (he was wearing boxers underneath) and climbed in bed with me. We cuddled under the covers for a little, before I finally felt tired enough to sleep. I looked at the clock. It was three in the morning Sleep finally claimed me at ten after three. I woke up five hours later. Gil was already up and smiling at me. I grinned back sleepily and got attacked with kisses and tickles. Once Gil was done, he let me catch my breath. I gently smacked his face, a smile on mine. Gil was positively beaming.

"W-what's got you so happy this morning?"

"I checked your Youtube account, and you won't believe how popular you've gotten!"

"H-how popular a-are we talking here?"

"Your first video has ten thousand views and you've got over five hundred subscribers"

I felt... a little faint at that. Those were really big numbers for me. I had never gotten a crowd over maybe one hundred, and that was when we played in the town square.

"Also, I checked your email. You have one from the mayor, actually. He wants you to play tomorrow at a special dinner for him and some police officers"

Now I was almost sure I was going to faint. Why would the mayor want _me_ to play? I sat up and went to the computer to check this out for myself. I went to my email and logged in. I found the email and it said:

'Dear Silent Music,

It has come to my attention that you have taken up residence in our little town and have become somewhat of a celebrity. We are hosting the Knying County's Police Dinner on January the 30th. I sincerely hope you and your partner can attend and play something for us all. If you do choose to show up, come at midday.

Yours Truly,

Mayor Fitzgibbon'

I sat there for a few moments, soaking it in. And then I tackled Gil into the bed. I couldn't believe this! I was laughing and couldn't stay still. Eventually Gil just let me roll around in a fit of happiness. Once I was finally finished with that, I checked the date of when the email had been sent. The mayor sent it a day after we'd been on the news. That made sense. Then, a thought popped in my head. I tackled Gil and pinned him to the bed.

"GIL!"

"Holy scheisse, Birdie! Calm down, kesesesese!"

"NON! Um... m-maybe I'll calm down a little... but we only have today to prepare!"

"We?"

"Oui!"

"That's what I just aske- oh, right.. we and oui sounds the same... I think I got too much sleep. But I'm coming too?"

I showed him the email and he smirked.

"Well, the awesome me thinks we should play Dragonforce"

"C-can you do it?"

In responce, Gil got his electric guitar and plugged it into the amp. He surprised me by playing the lead guitar very, very well. Once he was done, I clapped. Then, we heard Ludwig come stomping down the stairs.

"BRUDER! IT IS EIGHT IN THE MORNING! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"And that's obviously not you. You're down here yelling at us, kesesese! But Bruder, we have a reason for being so loud"

"You're an idiot and he's half asleep?"

"Nein! Come read this!"

Gil showed his frére the email. Ludwig actually smiled at us, but then ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

"This means you two will be making noise all day, doesn't it?"

"Ja, pretty much"

"Mein gott... Feli and I are going to do groceries, since we're out of cold cuts and some other things. Please do not burst any windows or your eardrums. And congratulations"

With that Ludwig left us to practice. He called to Feli and told him the news, but didn't give the Italian any time to freak out like I did. Actually, that freak out made my arms hurt... but, I had endured worse pain. Once Feli and Ludwig had left, Gil and I looked at each other.

"We also gotta figure out what to wear, and something that'll cover your stitches."

"Oui... w-when Feli and Ludwig get back we'll a-ask them. As for right now, let's get some breakfast"

Gil and I went upstairs for food. I decided to make some blueberry pancakes, since I hadn't cooked in a while. Once I was done making the giant pile of them, we started digging in. I was glad we had a big breakfast, because today and tomorrow had a lot in store for us.

((Okay. At the time I'm posting this, we are eight away from 300. You guys have no idea how excited I am for this! Also, we just reached 150 followers. All of you people are amazing and wonderful and... I'm getting too emotional over this. But seriously. *Gives Canadian hugs to each and every one of you* Well, it's just a matter of time now. Good luck guys!))

((Edit: Also, I forgot to mention that I started an ask prucan blog on tumblr. So if you guys could check it out and ask questions, that would be *giggles* awesome!))


	29. Gearing Up

As we were eating our food, I took the time to stop and think of exactly how big this was. We had been asked to play, by the mayor of the town, in front of I didn't know how many police officers. This was... this was huge. Gil and I finished our pancakes and I went to the sink to wash them. I felt Gil wrap his arms around my waist and I smiled, relaxing in his embrace.

"Birdie... the awesome me really can't believe this"

"A-and you think I can? Th-this is the biggest thing that's ever happened to me... b-besides meeting you, of course"

He chuckled and nuzzled my head. I giggled a little and finished the dishes. I turned to face him and wrapped my arms around his shoulder.

"Have you met th-the mayor before? O-or do you know what songs we should play?"

"Hm... well, the awesome me would have suggested nothing with swear words, but since neither of us are going to be singing I don't see an issue with that. What song do you want to start with?"

"U-um... I think Good Life would be a good one to start with"

"Ja, that seems awesome. Oh, and the awesome me was thinking. My amp's pretty heavy... would it be okay if I just played acoustic guitar?"

"Th-that would actually be a lot easier. Then th-there's less set up time"

"Ja... we should get a song list together"

We grabbed a notepad and a pen and went to the living room. We sat on the floor and started to brainstorm some songs. I thought that we should have a variety of things to play, and Gil suggested that if we didn't think of many things we could do a mashup.

"A-a Lady Gaga mashup w-would be good, oui?"

"Ja! Everyone knows at least one Gaga song"

"And then... o-oh, we should play Vanilla Twilight"

"And My Heart Will Go On?"

I giggled a little at how Gil mumbled that. He was obviously embarassed, but... it was kind of cute. I kissed him on the cheek and added the song to the list. We sat there for about half an hour figuring out songs. By the end of it we had the songs I already mentioned, Sanitarium by Metallica, One Thousand Years by Christina Perri, the A Team by Ed Sheeran, Paradise by Coldplay and Reila by the GazettE. I looked at our list and nodded. I knew how to play most of these songs already. Gil had a pretty good idea of how he was going to do them too. He got his acoustic guitar from the basement and brought it upstairs. He took it out and pulled up a chair.

"Hey, Birdie? Do you think we should introduce ourselves?"

"Oh, th-that might be a good i-idea"

We stood up and decided that the TV was going to be our audience. We walked to where we were going to play and bowed.

"Hello, my name is Silent Music and this is my partne-"

"The awesome me's name is-...oops"

"Hey, Oops, l-let me finish, okay?" I teased with a grin. Gil rolled his eyes, but was smiling too. I tried again.

"Hello, my name is Silent Music"

"And my name is Gilbe-PRU...ssia... Prussia"

"A-and we'll be playing f-for you tod-day" I could barely get through that sentence because I was laughing too hard. Gil was really bad at this. I just hoped he didn't get mad at me for laughing at him... I looked over and he was facepalming at himself (and probably me). I kissed his hand and smiled. We tried a few more times before we finally got it right. Then we started playing Good Life. Gil surprised me by doing very well. He even decided to do the whistling parts. It surprised me how much that added to the song. We followed the list, so the next one was Vanilla Twilight. Gil had a little trouble with that one, but we fixed it quickly. We did My Heart Will Go On and we were partway through Sanitarium when Ludwig and Feli came home. We stopped playing, but only because Feli ran over.

"Ve! How are you guys doing? Do you know what songs you'll be playing?"

"O-oui, we know... we were kind of in the middle o-of practice"

"Oi, Luddy! Grab some chairs for you and Feli and watch the awesome us!"

Reluctantly, Ludwig agreed. After he put the groceries away, he got some chairs for himself and Feli. Gil and I did our intro again, this time getting it perfect. We played through our songs, fixing anything outstanding. Our playing took about an hour, with all the corrections. We also added some other songs in, as per Ludwig's suggestion. After that, we would take requests. Gil said he had YouTube on his phone, so we could listen to any songs we didn't know there. After another run through with the new songs, we thought we were ready. We put our instruments and chairs away. I decided that it would be a good idea to ask Feli about clothing now.

"H-hey, um... Feli?"

"Si, Matteo? What is it that you need?"

"W-would you happen to have any clothes that'll cover my stitches a-and that I can play in?"

Feli clapped excitedly and dragged me upstairs. Gil followed, probably curious as to what I was going to wear. We spent a full two and a half hours up there, trying to find something that wasn't too formal but not too casual. I also needed to be able to move in whatever I was going to wear, which created a few problems. But finally, we found a pink shirt, a black vest, some dress pants and some shoes. Gil also found something similar to that, except without the vest. Instead, he had a black fedora with small white stripes. We looked in the full body mirror and turned to get the full view. I moved around in the outfit to make sure it wouldn't tear or something. Gil and I smiled. We were finally ready for tomorrow.

The whole house was charged with energy that was almost like electricity. You could feel the anticipation growing with every hour that passed. We decided to eat out at Gil's favourite German restaurant again. The short man there was very pleased that Gil and I were together... at least that's what I gathered from his conversation with Gil. Ludwig also joined the talking. Feli and I just looked around the place. It was exactly as I remembered it. The fireplace was at the back, the lines of booths were interrupted by stools and there were just a few people at the tables in the middle.

We got our table and ordered. Feli and I got wine, while the Germanic brothers got beer. We waited for our food and made light conversation. And had a contest to see who could balance a spoon on their nose without it dropping. Surprisingly enough, Ludwig won. We all congratulated him in German, Italian and French. Our meal came not long after. We all fell into a comfortable silence as we ate. The food was even better than I remembered. Once we were done we thanked the short man and walked around the town for a little. Gil smirked and ran ahead, to a large, white building. I ran after him. Once I got there he wrapped an arm around me.

"Well Birdie, this is where we're going to be playing in a few hours"

I smiled and leaned my head against his shoulder. We walked home, both couples holding hands. We got in the door and found the dogs sitting there, leashes in their teeth. I guessed we had no choice but to walk them. Ludwig and Feli took the dogs while Gil and I decided to cuddle on the couch. Hopefully that would reduce the amount of butterflies crashing around in our stomachs. Gil held me close and kissed all over my face.

"You know, it's amazing how far we've come"

"Oui... f-from being on the street, to finding a home, a-a family, a lover... and you, from being d-drunk all the time and doing all the st-stuff you did to, well, this"

Gil smiled softly.

"You still remember that?"

"O-of course! I-it's not something I could forget"

"Well, the awesome me guesses it makes sense... after all, I haven't forgotten what you told me about yourself"

I snuggled closer and felt his arms tighten around me. We cuddled until Ludwig and Feli came home. Then we changed into pajama pants and folded our clothes for tomorrow. With nervousness running through our veins, we went to bed. Of course, we didn't get much sleep. But that didn't really bother either of us. We were up at eight in the morning, practicing quietly and eating a breakfast of French toast. We snuggled for about an hour before we figured it was finally time to get our clothes on and do a last-minute rehearsal. We said goodbye to our family and walked out into the cold, our instruments on our backs. Gil and I were walking pretty quickly, so it didn't take that long to get to the big white building. We went in the place and went to the reception desk. The lady there looked up at us with disdain.

"The mayor will be busy today, gentlemen, he's hosting the Policeman's Feast"

"W-we know, we're supposed to be playing for that"

"Then you are Silent Music and... whoever you are?"

"This is Prussia, a-and yes"

"Just go in the door to your right; mayor Fitzgibbon has been waiting for you"

Gil and I thanked her (though I didn't mean it at all... she was mean) and went in the door she'd told us to. There was a tall man with brown hair and hazel eyes standing in the room. He smiled as soon as he saw Gil and I.

"Ah, you must be Silent Music and Prussia, is that correct?"

"Ja, it is. It's nice to meet you"

"And it's even better to meet you! I told the other mayors in the county about you two and showed them your videos. They all got... well, they were al pretty jealous after that! I must say, I am very impressed by both of your skill. We have a place set apart for you two, if you'll just follow me"

We did as he asked and walked to a place with two microphones and a stool. It was at the front of the room, which meant we would be in front of at least three hundred police officers, by the looks of it. Gil and I exchanged excited glances. Mayor Fitzgibbon coughed and got our attention.

"Now, Silent Music and Prussia, you will be playing halfway through the meal. Some officers will want to request some songs, as I said that is what you specialise in. Would that be okay?"

"Oui, th-that would be fine. We have a list of songs, b-but we're willing to make some room for requests"

"Ah, good. You will be sitting over there and you also get some food. Lunch is a combination of our town's ethnic majorities, so there will be lasagna and sausage with wine or beer. Is that alright?"

"Ja, that's perfect! Uh... will you give us a cue or something so we know when to go up there?"

"Yes, I will say our musical entertainment is here or something of the like. You would like to introduce yourselves, I imagine?"

We nodded and were given a few more instructions before we sat down and put our instruments beside us. The police officers started filing in and sitting down. They were pretty loud... I just hoped they'd quiet down for Gil and I. After all, this would be our biggest live performance yet.


	30. Surprise

Gil and I watched as the police officers sat down. The loudness quieted down some as they got comfortable. Though I didn't see how they could do that... the chairs were kind of hard. I glanced over at Gil and he looked like he was trying to cover up his nervousness. I could tell by the way his smirk didn't reach his eyes. I took his hand and kissed it.

"D-don't be nervous, Gil. Just p-pretend we're standing on th-the fountain. You were fine then"

"Ja, but then we weren't in front of these many people. And as far as the awesome me knows, all the people at the fountain weren't police people"

"T-true... but come on. I-I'm here, and you'll probably be behind me anyways. Just pretend we're at h-home?"

Gil frowned and looked to the sea of black and navy blue.

"You sure that's going to work, liebling?"

"Non b-but I can't think of anything else"

Gil sighed and looked back to me. His eyes were kind of tight, but he'd relaxed a little. He leaned over our little table and gave me a quick kiss. Blushing like a strawberry, I pouted. This time, Gil's smirk was for real.

"What? Was the awesome me's kiss not long enough?"

I fidgeted in a way that I hoped he took as a yes. The food hadn't been served yet, so I guess Gil figured we had a little time. He took my hand and led me out of the auditorium and to the bathroom. He leaned against a wall there and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and smiled. Gil tipped my chin up with a finger and kissed me for longer this time. I chuckled into it. It kind of felt like we were in highschool and had slipped away from class. Of course, I didn't actually do that in highschool; I didn't have anyone to do it with. But I imagined this is what it would be like. We finished the kiss and held hands as we walked back out of the bathroom. We went back to our seats.

Some of the officers saw us come back and turned to the people next to them, probably asking about us. I guess some of them weren't previously informed that we would be here... I guessed that was a nice surprise and just waited for the food. Gil apparently got bored, because he grabbed my hand and started playing with my fingers. I looked at him in mild amusement while wondering where lunch was. Gil was in the process of making my fingers do the wave when I finally saw some servers coming out with drinks. It was orange juice. I chuckled at that. Now it really did seem like we were in highschool. I played with my drink's straw while mon amour did a strange little puppet show. He tapped my shoulder and had a huge smirk on.

"Birdie! Come on, watch the show!"

Sighing, I focused on our fingers. Gil was in the middle of helping me solve the murder of Mr Pinkey when our food finally came. The server looked between us and just gave us our food, then walked back to get more. I saw her almost fall through the door. I'm fairly sure she was laughing. Gil immediately dug in, finishing his food quickly. I took a little longer. Before we knew it, there was a tap on the mic at the front. I quickly chugged my orange juice and smiled brightly, getting my violin out of it's case. The Prussian got his guitar out and we were both itching to get out of our seats. Mayor Fitzgibbon winked at us before speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a bit of a surprise for you today. Some of you may know these people from YouTube. They have agreed to play for you, and after they are finished their set they will take requests"

Gil grabbed my hand and we walked to the front of the large room. Some people's eyes lit up when they saw us, so perhaps they'd seen us on the internet. I looked out to the sea of black and navy and noticed that there was only one seat not filled. I decided to not worry about it and took the mic from the mayor. I looked back and Gil had already sat on his stool. He had a mic too. I turned to the crowd and smiled.

"Hello! My name is Silent Music"

"I'm Prussia, and we'll be playing some songs for you guys today!"

Gil and I gave the mics back to the mayor. I looked back at Gil and he winked, starting Good Life. He did the whistling parts, like in practice. When I started with the violin, I saw that some of the officers were pleasantly surprised. I guessed they hadn't expected much of us. A few of them were even singing along, though most of them didn't get the words right. Once we were done that song, Gil and I didn't give them any time to clap. We went right into Vanilla Twilight. Not as many voices were singing along this time. When we did My Heart Will Go On, no one sang along. Gil and I threw ourselves in the song, and I think we did a good job with it. I saw a few police people wiping their eyes. After that, we did Enchanted, a song Ludwig suggested we add in. It was one of my favourites, after all. This gave everyone a chance to recover from the last song.

We continued playing through our set, ending with Dragonforce. The officers really liked that one, and a few were tapping their tables, trying to imitate the fast finger movements both Gil and I had to do. We both covered our mistakes well; I was surprised that Gil had managed to do that. He certainly didn't in practice. After we were done, we bowed and were met with exploding applause. While people were clapping, a police officer burst through the doors and ran to his seat, which was the one empty one. I looked at him curiously. He had a weird cowlick that kind of reminded me of my brother... but that was impossible. Alfred was in Texas. I shrugged and was handed a mic.

"We'll take requests now. But if the song is one we haven't heard yet, we're going to have to listen to it first"

"Won't you need to practice first?"

Gil tapped my shoulder and I handed the mic back to him.

"Nein. Request a song and you'll see"

The officer who had spoken thought for a little. He requested a song by a band named Volbeat. The song was called Heaven Nor Hell. Gil got his phone out and we listened to the song. I quickly figured out the fingering, and once the song was done Gil and I both knew how we were going to do it. We surprised everyone by playing it perfectly. The officer who doubted us didn't say another word for the entire performance. The people in the room (including servers and Mayor Fitzgibbon) suggested we play everything from Rihanna to Slayer. And we did every song they requested. The policeman who had come in late kept giving me a weird look. It was making me kind of uncomfortable, but I pushed past it.

When we were finally done, we took another bow and got a standing ovation. Gil laughed and hugged me from behind. I blushed and hi-fived him. We then went back to our table. I noticed Gil shaking and chuckled a little.

"W-were you nervous?"

He rolled his eyes and pecked me on the cheek.

"That's like questioning my awesomeness"

We heard footsteps coming toward us. I looked up from putting my violin in it's case. The picture of my mother was on the table. The officer picked it up and looked at it with wide eyes.

"Hey... this looks like... my mom..."

My heart stopped. I re-evaluated my assessment of the chances that this was Al, and decided to take a chance.

"A-... Alfred?"

"Mattie?"

"O-oui"

I whispered the last word. Gil quickly put everything away and got his guitar on his back, then hugged me from behind. I could feel the waves of defensiveness rolling off him.

"But... that's impossible! Dad said you died!"

"W-what?! Non! H-he kicked me out r-right after I... I-I came out to him..."

"Dude! I told you not to!"

"I-I know, but... e-even though he wasn't exactly nice-"

"'Wasn't exactly nice'. Yep, it's definitely you. No one else could water down the situation that much"

I fidgeted and Gil held me tighter. All the childhood memories came racing back, carrying tears with them. I felt like I should be angry at Al... he was my father's favourite, and didn't do a thing to change that situation. He stood back while I was abused, neglected and nearly given up to strangers every time we went out somewhere as a 'family'. But no. Something had changed... and I felt like I needed to know what. I looked up at Alfred, my lip quivering.

"A-Al... we need to talk"

"Yeah, I agree. Where are you staying?"

"W-with Gil and his f-family"

"Alright, let's go"

"B-but... "

"What? I'm not on duty any time soon... I kinda got hurt"

"What h-happened?"

Al pulled up his sleeve and showed Gil and I his bandaged arm. I turned in Gil's arms and silently asked him if we could have my brother over. I saw the reluctancy in his eyes, even when he nodded.

"O-okay... follow us"

I put my violin on my back and felt kind of wobbly as we walked out of there. Things had just settled down in my life (minus Steven, of course) and now my brother shows up... I felt kind of faint, actually. Mon amour must have noticed this, because he wrapped his arm around me, so his hand was on my hip. I looked at him with a weak, forced smile. I saw fear enter his eyes. Swallowing thickly, I focused on walking. After a little, my brother spoke up.

"So, uh... I guess this is your... boyfriend?"

"Ja"

That was the only reply Gil gave. He was shaking slightly, and I was sure it wasn't like before. Al kept talking.

"How long you guys been together?"

"R-roughly two weeks... m-maybe three?"

"Nein, it can't be more than two and a half"

"And have you been good to my baby brother?"

"Better than you ever were"

Gil let that one hang in the air. I grimaced and saw mon frére look away. I knew he knew Gil was right... but, stubborn as ever, he didn't want to admit it. I was in a daze as we walked on our street. Gil opened the door and shouted that we had a guest. He wasn't answered. He walked to the fridge and got a note out from under a magnet. He sighed and translated the note for me.

"Dear Gilbert and Matthew,

Feliciano and I will be out for the rest of the day. I hope you did well at your performance, and I will say hello to Roderich and Elizaveta for you.

-Ludwig Beilschmidt'

As soon as the note was read, Gil quickly walked over and wrapped his arms around me. I felt my head spinning as I looked up at Gil, begging with him to make this stop. I didn't want Al here. I didn't want him back in my life at all! Gil looked at my brother with tight, dark red eyes.

"We're going to go change, we'll be right back"

Gil then picked me up and carried me downstairs. And finally, I began to cry.

(( Alright... history has been kicking my ass this week, so I appologise that this didn't come out sooner. Also, I'm planning on ending this in a few chapters. You guys are all amazing for sticking with me through late updates and everything. If there's anything you'd like to see for an extra chapter, after the story is done, please tell me! Also... I did write an M-rated thing for this, which (I think) will be posted on momiji101's page... I shall tell you guys if it's posted there, otherwise I'll just post it here))


	31. Our Talk

Gil immediately tried to calm me down, whispering things in German to me. But I refused to calm down until we got to the bottom of the stairs. Every bad memory from my childhood that had Al in it popped up. I knew it wasn't his fault; he was just a trigger. But that didn't erase the fact that remembering all that hurt. Al had stood by while I had nearly gotten given away, didn't tell dad when he left me at the airport, didn't stick up for me in school... thinking about all that just made me cry more. I held Gil's shirt tightly in a feeble attempt to keep my sobs silent. I didn't want him to worry more than he had to, though judging by his hurried walking he was freaking out. I somehow managed a smile at that. Once we get down the stairs, Gil took off my vest and shirt, then took off his own shirt. He sat down on the bed and pulled me in his lap. I snuggled close, burying my face in his neck. He wrapped his arms securely around me. He was careful not to hit any of the stitches. After about two minutes of letting my cry, he softly spoke.

"Birdie... you know you dont need to cry, ja? The awesome me's here for you and I love you"

I let that sink in. All throughout these memories that played like a movie in my head... I didn't see any instances of where I was loved. No one in school talked to me, except the teachers, and that was because they had to. My dad hated me, and Al... well, he did keep my biggest secret for me...

"D-do you promise?"

That escaped my lips without me knowing for a good three seconds. After I realised what I'd said and how pathetically I'd said it, I blushed. I felt Gil smile. He lifted my head off his shoulder and looked me in the eye.

"Ja, I promise. Ich liebe dich für immer und ewig"

I figured that meant 'forever and always' or something like that. This brought a smile to my face and I could feel my heart swell. I hugged mon amour tightly as a silent thanks for finally making my tears stop. Now I believed I could face what Al and I had to talk about. I got off Gil and went to my drawer. I grabbed the Walking Dead sweater and put it on. I changed into plaid pajama pants also,figuring comfort would be good. As soon as I was done changing Gil put on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt I assumed to be old. We walked back to the living room and sat on the floor on front of Al. He had taken off his gun belt and set it beside him. His blue eyes were full of remorse. I guess he'd been thinking about the same things I had. It was silent for a little, until my brother decided to start the conversation.

"So, uh... how's life been?"

"A-a lot better... h-how about you? Did you m-marry that Japanese girl you were dating?"

"Nah... we broke up"

"Oh, w-why? You were really good for e-each other!"

"Yeah, but... I don't know. We started arguing every day, went to counselling and we just decided it would be better if we broke things off"

I frowned at my brother. I was well aware that things happened in relationships, but I was seriously rooting for Al and Sakura! I grabbed Gil's hand and squeezed it. I really, really didn't want that to happen to Gil and I... though, after everything we'd been through so far, I didn't think that was a possibility.

"Oi, Birdie said you owned a ranch or something. What happened there?"

"Tornado..."

I got on my knees and patted him on the shoulder, offering some form of sympathy. I knew what it was like to lose everything.

"S-so is that how you ended up here?"

"Kinda. Dad told me you were dead, and... I decided to become an officer so I could prevent all the shit you had to go through from happening to anyone else"

Everyone in the room sensed it was finally time to come to the question I kept with me all throughout the years. I sat in Gil's lap and his arms wrapped tight around me. I was glad, because after all the emotional shock, it felt like I might physically fall apart. I looked Al right in the eye and said it.

"Al... w-why didn't you try to stop dad...? W-why didn't you stick up for me?"

I said it slowly and in a hushed tone, as if I was scared dad would overhear. Alfred sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows in his thighs. He looked around the room, anywhere but right in front of him. I could see he was calculating his answer. Gil suddenly touched my face. I looked back at him, confused.

"You're crying again, liebling"

Al's head snapped up.

"Hey, was that... German?"

"Ja"

"Mattie doesn't like it when people speak German..."

"G-Gil and his family helped me get o-over that, Al. I-I'm still waiting for an answer"

Alfred nodded and sat back on the couch. We locked eyes and the room fell deathly silent. He opened his mouth, but closed it again. I guess this was something that was really hard to say. He sighed and finally spoke.

"I... didn't stick up for you... agh. I didn't do it because I was scared, okay?! I was scared that if I stuck up for you dad would treat me like he treated you, and I wanted to not have that happen, alright? And FYI I did help you every once in a while! Hell, I kept the fact that you're gay from dad for... uh, how many years has it been since you told dad?"

"F-five"

Now I could definitely feel the tears pouring from my eyes. I buried my face in Gil's chest. Under any other circumstance this probably would have been awkward with Al watching, but... I couldn't hold back. Al seemed to come to some sort of revelation.

"Wait... that's all you wanted all those years, for me to say something? That look you gave me after anything bad happened..."

"Since Birdie's a little busy, I'll answer for him from experience. Ja, that's all he wanted. I'm pretty sure he thought it was awesome that you kept his secret, but just keeping a secret isn't exactly stopping all the pain and misery"

I looked at Al through teary, puffy and bloodshot eyes. He looked like he was going to cry too.

"So... in other words I fucked up big time"

"N-n-not exactly... y-you weren't the one to... w-well, you weren't dad..."

This didn't seem to help. As much as I wanted to let the resentment flow through me, as much as I wanted to get up and scream at my brother for being a dummy, I knew that wouldn't solve anything. _Besides, _I thought. _Gil will probably do the screaming for me, if I ask._ The thought was kind of amusing at the time. Suddenly, the room was filled with tension. Al looked at me and decided to ask a question of his own.

"Bro... I know a lot of shit's happened in your life, but... did you ever see that I had problems too?"

This shocked me. I'd always seen Al as the big, strong older brother who could take on the world and laugh in the face of a difficulty! Never had I considered that he was anything but confident and issue-free. My expression told him all he needed to know.

"Really? You didn't see that I was hurting too? Dude, I had an eating disorder at fucking eleven! I felt guilty so I'd just eat to make me feel better, and as soon as I gained a few pounds everyone at school started picking on me. I stayed away from you at school because I didn't think you needed more shit to deal with. Hell, it was so bad dad actually offered to switch me out of there. And you know why I stayed?"

"W-why?"

"Because of you. Because I couldn't leave my baby brother behind, even though I didn't do shit to help you. And yeah, I didn't ask dad to stop, yeah I had a ton of opportunities looking back but... I just didn't jump on them because... because like I said before"

This only made me cry harder. My own brother had been through bullying too, and I was too wrapped up in my own problems to notice! Now all the things that happened, such as being lost for a few days in an unfamiliar town at the age of ten didn't seem so bad. Gil did his absolute best to comfort me. Eventually, Al joined in. They rubbed my back and Gil placed kisses all over my fluid-covered face. Once I had sufficiently quieted down, I hugged my brother.

"A-Al, I'm so sorry... I should h-h-have noticed... I'm so stupid"

"Dude. You're not. If there's one thing I've learned from being a police guy it's that beating yourself up is the worst kind of harm you can do. So stop"

"The awesome me agrees. Birdie, you're not stupid. Your family was just extremely fucked up and you had to deal with your own shit, ja? Besides, I don't think you could have handled having your Bruder's crap to get through too"

"Yeah. You know, albino guy, you're not as bad as you look"

"And you... uh... well, the awesome me's kind of been too busy worrying about mein liebling to pay much attention to you but you seem alright"

I giggled a little at this. I was glad they seemed to like each other. Al sat on the floor in front of us and sighed. He looked like he was regretting something. Now that we talked things over a little, I figured it would be good to know what he felt guilty about.

"A-Al, what's wrong?"

"Nothing"

"B-bullshit"

"Ugh. You want to know what I did? I... texted dad, saying I found you"

My heart slammed up in my throat and my purple eyes widened. The source of all my torture and sorrow knew I was still alive. I started shaking, and I could almost not breathe. My heart felt like it was going to beat it's way out of my chest. Was this what a panic attack felt like? I wasn't sure. But I really didn't want to go o the hospital for a second time. Becoming a regular there wasn't high on my list of things to do. I just stared at my brother and he couldn't meet my gaze. Luckily, Gil was willing to do the talking for me.

"Did you give him this address?"

"Y-yeah..."

"FICKEN SCHEISSE! If he comes up to find Birdie, I swear to gott..."

"I know, I know. Just call me if you get any info on him, yeah? Here's my number"

I didn't see if Al actually wrote it down or not because my vision went black. This only served to make me panic more. I could still hear, so I knew Al had caught on when he called my name. Gil was shaking my shoulders, trying to get me to answer. But no sound would leave my lips. My father knew where I was. And more than likely... he was going to come to see me. I just hoped I wouldn't lose consciousness like I did three seconds after I heard Gil call my name.

((Okay. This chapter is definitely not my favourite. I am working on the prize fic, but projects and tests have been kicking my butt))


	32. Class A Example of an Idiot

When I finally regained consciousness, my head was foggy and I was disoriented. My brain was switching between making me think I was on a surprisingly comfy bench, Gil's couch or my bed at my father's house. It sounded like there was some yelling, though I payed no mind to it. How could I, when I didn't even know where I was? I blinked a few times and groaned, turning on my side to face the rest of the room. My mind finally started to clear up as I saw someone come closer. Red eyes and white hair loomed into my vision. The yelling had quieted down a little, but it hadn't stopped. As I was still not all there, I asked kind of a silly question.

"G-Gil, who's fighting?"

"Me and your moron of a Bruder"

"Hey! If anyone's the moron, it's you! I didn't let Mattie get I don't know how many stitches!"

"Ja, but I'm not the one who let his father-"

"E-enough!"

They both looked at me, shocked that I'd actually raised my voice. I was surprised too, of course, but kept it hidden under the slight anger I was feeling. How could they fight when I was passed out, then have the audacity to continue after I woke up? I tried to sit up, only to fall back on the couch. I sighed and decided to rebuke them from here.

"Mon amour et mon frére. You don't n-need to fight over whatever it is y-you're fighting about! O-oui, I do have stitches, but that's not Gil's fault. I d-didn't have to run after him. And it's not Al's fault that dad was horrible to me, o-okay? So just stop i-it"

The two looked at each other and you could feel the anger simmering between them. Al looked like he was going to say something, but ended up just going to the kitchen to be sulky for a while. Gil got on his knees in front of the couch and hugged me. I hugged back, needing it a lot.

"Gil, w-why were you arguing?"

Gil pouted and sighed.

"Well, it started out as an argument over who should have caught you while you were fainting, then it moved to why you fainted, then just about you in general... "

I instantly felt bad, even though this really wasn't my fault. I had been the cause of an argument between the two people I wanted to get along most of all. I sighed sadly and looked away, only to feel a soft kiss placed on my cheek.

"Birdie, don't be sad... it makes the awesome me feel sad too"

I looked right into Gilbert's eyes, studying the emotion in them. There was a tiny hint of fear, which confused me for a moment. But as I thought about it, I remembered the reason I had fainted in the first place. My father was coming to see me. That thought alone was enough to get me shaking a little. I gripped mon amour's shirt tightly, needing the comfort. I... I really didn't want to see my dad ever again. In the five years I was alone, I had gotten myself thinking that I wouldn't have to deal with him again, and that life would continue on as normal for everyone. Of course, I should have known that things don't work out that way. But at least I would have Gil here with me. I didn't think I could do it without him. He climbed on the couch and plopped down behind me. I turned and snuggled into his chest, hot tears pricking at my eyes. I looked up at the Prussian, hoping my facial expression could say everything I was too scared to out loud.

Al came walking in a little later, while Gil was rubbing my back and whispering things to me in German as I cried. I lifted my head and wiped my tears to look at my twin. He sat down in front of the couch and glared at Gilbert. I glared back at him, silently telling him to back off. I needed Gil right now. Al made a frustrated noise and looked away.

"You know, I don't know what you see in him. He's too much of a dick to provide any kind of comfort whatsoever. Hell, I'm sure this comfort crying thing is just an act"

"Al, th-that doesn't make any sense... I know Gil's comfort i-is for real, and I see a loving partner in him"

"Dude. That is so... gay"

"And there's a problem with being gay?"

You could hear the challenge in Gil's voice. Al glared right at him, despite my silent pleas for him to not. Gil only held me closer. Since I was being ignored, I just buried my face in Gil's chest and tried not to listen. Their arguing started again, and it got so bad that I had to cover my ears. The front of Gil's shirt was soaked too, which I felt pretty bad about. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. Quietly, I grabbed my violin and headed to the roof. Once I got in my special spot I simply set the violin down and pulled my knees to my chest. A few moments later, I was crying again. Why did nothing seem to work right with my family? Were we cursed a hundred years ago or something? The fighting downstairs got louder and louder, but thanks to me being on the roof, I couldn't make out what they were saying.

I'm not sure how long I was up there, actually. As soon as I finished crying I picked up the violin and played sad songs until I got tired of being sad. Then I played some hopeful songs, wishing Gil and Al could hear. But I doubted they would be able to. I was up there long enough for me to feel like a was freezing, which was quite a feat. Usually the cold didn't affect me. I got off the roof and into the room to find Al and Gil standing there. I looked between them with disappointment etched on my face. Al just left the room and apparently left the house, because I heard the front door slam. Gilbert's eyes widened when he heard that.

"Birdie... d-do you think he'll go back to your Vater?"

The possibility hadn't crossed my mind before. I thought about it, and the shaking came back. There was a good chance Al would be seeing dad again... especially after the fights he and Gil had just had. I didn't have any tears left and my eyes were very sore from all the crying, so I just hugged the Prussian and buried my face in his chest. He picked me up and carried me to the basement. We played video games and watched funny cat videos on YouTube until we were called up for dinner. Feli had cooked some homemade pizza. It smelled delicious. Gil and I sat at the table with the rest of the family. There was an awkward atmosphere for about half of the meal. Ludwig finally broke the silence after his fourth slice of pizza.

"So, erm... will he be coming back?"

"P-probably... once he's cooled d-down enough"

Ludwig nodded and went back to his meal. I ate just two slices of pizza, saying I wasn't hungry. I sighed depressedly, my eyes full of sorrow. How could things have fallen apart so quickly? One hour everything is fine and Gil and I are having the time of our lives, and then... well, this happened. I sat back in my chair, feeling a wave of depression hit me. It looked like I couldn't be happy for too long before something bad happened. Gil took my hand and squeezed it tight. I squeezed back, but a lot weaker. Gil would definitely be my rock in all of this. He quickly finished his meal, then carried me downstairs. I blushed a little as I was set on the bed. Gil took both of our shirts off, then lifted me to the pillows and snuggled up to me. He cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at him.

"Birdie... I know things are gonna be hell through this, but... no matter what happens, I love you. I love you and I'm here to support you, so whenever you feel like you're going to cry, I'm open"

In his eyes, I saw the deep appology for earlier. He felt like he was the reason for all of this, it looked like. I pulled Gil in for a soft and loving kiss, making sure to erase all his guilty thoughts. Gil kissed back and moved closer, so our bare skin was touching. He ran his hand down my side, then broke the kiss. I guess he was out of air. Gil rested his face on my chest and sighed. I ran my fingers through his hair, needing something to distract me. I had been seriously depressed before; that was somewhere I did not want to go again. I looked at the clock and it was actually pretty late. I alerted Gil to this and we got ready for bed time. I pulled the blanket over us once we were both down to our boxers. Gil snuggled close to me and I turned on my side, falling asleep rather quickly.

I had a nightmare about my father. He was chasing me through an alley. Alfred was blocking the only exit, but I couldn't seem to get to that exit anyways. It was almost as if I was running backwards and my father had super speed. He had just caught me and was beginning to swear at me when I finally woke up. Gil was looking at me with concern on his face. I flopped back down after bolting up. There was cold sweat on my body and it felt gross. Gil cupped my cheek again and kissed my forehead.

"Was it about your Vater?"

"O-oui..."

"Well, if he tries to hurt you he's getting a face full of my fist"

That was... oddly comforting. Usually I'm not a very violent person, but it was the mental image of my father getting beat up by Gil that put me to sleep. I didn't wake up for another nine hours, so it was about three in the afternoon when my eyes fluttered open. Gil was sitting on the edge of our bed, playing a tune on his guitar. he looked back at me with a small smirk.

"Well, look who's finally up! I thought you were going to sleep all day, Birdie"

I smiled a little and stretched. Yesterday had been quite the day, so it really wasn't a surprise that I'd slept as long as I did. I crawled over to Gil and hugged him from behind

"What a-are you playing, Gil?"

He played the chorus and I recognised it as Halo by Beyonce. I held him a little tighter and images of him as an angel popped into my head. I imagined Gil looking over the maybe a little short tunic and smirking. I laughed a little and kissed his ear. Well, I would definitely need an angel... and a miracle. I didn't know when my father would be coming or if Alfred would come back before then. For all I knew, he was going to lead dad here... the fighting sounded intense enough for him to be angry enough to do that. I sighed, feeling the depression come over me again.

"Gil... y-you will be there when dad gets here, r-right?"

He continued strumming while he answered.

"Ja, of course! I'll be there the entire time, liebling. And I'm not afraid to punch him, like I said"

"J-just clean up the blood"

I guess Gil hadn't expected me to say that... i-it did seem kind of out of character for me, but to be honest I didn't care. All I cared about was that we would get this meeting with my dad over with... and that I'd come out of it still sane. Gil took my hand and kissed it.

"By the way, videos of our performance are up... and they're getting awesome reviews and comments and stuff! I think we got a hundred followers just from tha-"

"Quoi?! O-one hundred, o-over night?!"

Gil smirked and laughed a little.

"What can I say, we're awesome! Now, you're probably hungry, ja?"

I hadn't noticed it before, but my stomach hurt from the lack of food. I guessed I was used to ignoring it and carrying on, since on the streets, food was hard to come by. We went upstairs and Gil was in the middle of making something to eat when the doorbell rang. Just judging from the silhouette, I knew it was Al. He looked like he was alone. I opened the door for him and he stepped in. He hugged me close, which freaked me out at first. But then I realised that Al must have been sorry for what he did. He pulled back enough to look at me.

"Matt, I-I'm so sorry... as soon as I left I went to dad, and- and- sh-showed him where you live"

The house was dead silent. In an attempt to not start another argument, Gil went downstairs and probably beat the stuffing out of a pillow. I would be surprised if we had any left after he was done. I had been expecting this, actually. I knew my brother well enough to know he'd pull something stupid like this.

"Okay... I-I guess we'll just get ready..."

"Will you be okay here?"

"Oui...I-I've got Gil with me, and he'll protect me. I-I know he will"

((...I know most, if not all of you are disappointed in me for this being ridiculously late. I'm disappointed to, to be honest. I could give you guys a lot of valid reasons for why this is just coming out now, but really that doesn't matter. What matters is I've got a 'manager' who will kick my ass for getting things out late like this, so yay!))


	33. Mall Trip

Alfred nodded and stood awkwardly in the doorway. He didn't look like he wanted to come in, probably for fear that Gil would switch from beating pillows to beating him. I was impressed with Gil's self-control, actually. I'd have to make him pancakes and tell him that later.

"Um, y-you can come in, if you'd like..."

He shook his head. "That's probably not the best idea. I gotta go anyways... see ya later, Matt"

I nodded and saw that he wasn't sure if he would see me later. I thought this was silly. Sure, dad was very abusive and would probably tear my already-low self confidence apart, but he wouldn't kill me. Gil would prevent him from even touching me. I shut the door and quietly went down the stairs, almost afraid of the pillow carnage. When I got down there, the scene was as I expected. Pillow stuffing and feathers all over the place, and Gil sitting on the bed, catching his breath. I climbed on the bed and sat beside him. He looked at me with anger and sorrow filled eyes. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in his lap, hugging me close to his chest. I rested my head on his shoulder and played with his fingers for a little. It was silent in the room for a while, before Gil's soft voice broke through it.

"Still hungry, Birdie?"

I had totally forgot that I needed food. I nodded, but I really wanted to stay in Gil's lap. It felt comfortable and safe. After the craziness that just happened, calm, safety and Gil was what I needed most. But food was important too, and we both knew that. Gil made a decision and, being careful of my stitches, picked me up and carried me upstairs. He was just making some mashed potatoes, it seemed. That was good. I wasn't really in the mood for any meat. I was set down on a chair while Gil finished cooking. I put my face in my hands and took deep breaths. What were we going to do, now that my father knew I was alive and where I lived? Would... would I be able to recover from whatever he was going to say to me, or whatever memories he'd bring up? I really hoped so... I loved living here, and I definitely did not want to leave. Gil's family was my family now and I didn't want that to change.

I sighed and rested my hands on the table, looking down at them and trying to figure out what we were going to do. Would we get Ludwig and Feli there as well, or would it just be Gil, my father, myself and Alfred? I set my head on the table and tried not to think about it, as it was clearly not doing any good. For all I knew, he could come in a few days or next year. Gil finished with making the food and set a plate of it in front of me. I lifted my head and smiled a little. Gil sat beside me and we started eating. I finished my plate and rested my head on Gil's shoulder, trying very, very hard not to think at all. He wrapped his arm around me and finished eating, then wiped his mouth. He kissed the top of my head and tilted my chin toward him with a finger.

"Birdie. No matter what happens, I love you. I don't care if your Vater tries to break us up or something. I'm not leaving you" He smirked a little. "Awesome people have to stick together, ja?"

I giggled a little and nodded. His smirk grew bigger and he pulled me into his lap again. He accidentally hit one of my stitch-lines, making me bite my lip and whimper in pain. He frowned and kissed my forehead as an appology. His arms wrapped around me in a protective embrace, making me feel secure once more. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, telling him it was alright. I didn't expect to not have my stitches hit every once in a while. I slid back down so my head could go to it's place on Gil's shoulder. We stayed there for a while, just enjoying the silence and the comfort. I closed my eyes and felt Gil run his fingers through my hair. It was pretty knotted, so he focussed on getting the knots out. It hurt a little, but I didn't mind. He was trying to be gentle. When he was almost done, there was a knock on the front door. It seemed... almost shy. I kissed Gilbert quickly and went to open it. It was Katyusha! My face lit up in a smile.

"B-bonjour! It's been a-a while, non?"

She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Ah, Matvey.. I saw a police car here and I was so worried! I thought perhaps maybe something happened to you or your boyfriend"

"Non, w-we're alright... well, uh, I-I have fifty plus stitches in me, b-but other than that we're fine"

The Ukrainian lady looked concerned. I let her come in and she sat on the couch. Gil came in and sat on the floor. pulling me in his lap. We took turns telling about what had happened since our performance on the fountain. Katyusha seemed very sad and said that had she known earlier, she would have made a Ukrainian dessert for me to make me feel better. I smiled at her kindness. With that out of the way, we made small talk for a little. Gil was silent, and I could tell he was thinking about something. Finally, my curiousity got the better of me. I turned and poked his cheek.

"W-what are you thinking about, Gil?"

"Hm? Oh... well, the awesome me was kind of thinking... that it would be nice to go away from the house for the rest of today, ja? I kinda want to visit Francine and Toni for a little. And you can stay here and hang out with Katyusha, if you want..."

This would be the first time we would be apart, but... it would be nice to have a break from everything. This would be the best way to get my mind off of the fact that my father could be coming any day now. I nodded and smiled. Katyusha clapped excitedly.

"Oh, this will be so much fun, Matvey! We will go to the mall and have icecream there, and look at things!"

I chuckled a little. It sounded... pretty fun, actually. Gilbert grinned and kissed my ear, then carried me downstairs so we could get dressed. I put on the Walking Dead sweater and a pair of black jeans. Gil was wearing a black button-up shirt and faded blue jeans. We looked each other over and nodded. Gil wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

"Will you be okay without me, Vogel?"

"Oh, I-I think I'll be fine... plus, it's only for a few hours, r-right?"

"Ja.. oh, and Birdie?"

"Hm?"

He smirked and kissed me lovingly, making me melt a little. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him close to me, trying to make sure he wouldn't break the kiss until the last possible moment. I kissed back with all the love for him I had, which I felt readily returned. We pulled back when we finally couldn't take not breathing. Gil stroked my cheek with his thumb, smiling at me in a way that made my heart melt. We finally unwrapped our arms from each other. I went to the violin case and got out some money, knowing Kat and I would probably get something there. I think I grabbed about seventy dollars. Gil and I walked back upstairs, hand in hand. He gave me a kiss goodbye, and said he'd be back around twelve. I waved to him as he pulled out of the driveway. Once he was gone, I turned to Kat with a small smirk.

"W-well, what are we waiting for?"

"Nothing! Let us go!"

I chuckled and got on my shoes, then followed her out the door. The town was definitely not big enough to have a mall, so we would be driving somewhere. I followed the Ukrainian woman to her house. She grabbed her purse and unlocked her car. It was a cream-coloured Soul. I nodded in approval and slid in the front seat. She got in the driver's seat, and after turning off her music, we were on our way to the mall. This would be the first time in a while I had gone to a mall, so I was pretty excited. The drive was pretty short compared to most of the other drives I'd taken. We arrived in a large parking garage. Kat seemed excited. We got out and she immediately started walking.

"Ah, Matvey I will show you everywhere in this mall! It is not as big as in Toronto, but I still like it here"

"I-I haven't been to the one in Toronto... I-I've seen it, but I didn't go in"

"It is big and it is very easy to get lost in. I would not recommend going in unless you are with someone, or else you will be stuck there forever"

"..I-I'm not going in there e-ever, then. I don't want to risk not c-coming out"

Katyusha chuckled and led me through a glass bridge. I looked to the parking lot and it didn't look like many people were here. That meant no big crowds to push through or get lost in. We came through sliding doors and down a hallway with three vending machines, then we were officially in the mall. I looked around. To the left was a medium-sized food court. In front of us were a set of escalators going to a small bottom floor. On the other side of the escalators and the hole in the floor for the bottom level was a small jewelry place. There was a hallway that led to what I presumed was a larger section of the mall. Kat waisted no time in going directly to the food court. We went to a place that sold icecream, even in winter. The selection was huge! I chose a banana split, while Kat got a chocolate caramel sundae. We payed for our treats and sat down with them. I took a bite of my icecream and found that it was one of the most delicious things I'd ever tasted. Naturally, the poor banana split didn't last long. The Ukrainian took longer with her sundae, eating it slowly to savour it.

"So, h-how have you been?"

"Ah, I have been... alright, I suppose. Little sister found a girlfriend, while I am still single. But other than that, things have been okay. Um... oh! I am planning on getting a dog sometime soon! I have picked a short-haired St. Bernard, because then we could play in the snow and I do not have to worry about losing it. I tried playing with Nat's cat in the snow once. It was... not fun. The silly cat kept jumping in my coat pocket and refusing to play! This is why I prefer dogs anyways. They can play in snow, while cats just jump in pockets and growl when you try to get them out. It took Nat four hours to get her cat out of my pocket, and she had to lure it out with tuna and a squeaky toy shaped like a vodka bottle"

I laughed at the story, imagining Kat trying to get the feline out of her pocket. It was pretty funny. I wished I could tell a funny pet story, but I really didn't have any.

"W-where are you planning on getting the dog?"

"I found one at the Humane Society and fell in love with it. I will get that dog! Nat even said I could, as long as her kitty wasn't in danger. But between you and me... the dog will be in the most danger from the cat. It hisses and growls at everything that is not little sister"

"Hah... m-maybe you should try giving it catnip?"

"...That only makes it worse. It goes crazy and starts attacking my favourite chair, then goes on to attacking the window. People pass by and give the kitty strange looks, because it is trying to eat the window. I believe I have a video of it"

She dug her phone out of her purse and pressed a few buttons, then showed me the video. The cat... was actually trying to eat the window. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be slightly freaked out, so I did both. Kat seemed amused by my reaction. She tried not to giggle, but a few slipped out. I smiled at that, and once the video was over I handed the phone back to her. She put it away again and finished her icecream. We threw our garbage out, and we were walking again. We took our time strolling through the mall, mostly so I could take everything in. There was a video game store, many clothing stores, a music store and a few stores that sold other things.

Kat and I first walked into the video games place. We browsed the shelves, looking for anything that caught our attention. I found a few Pokémon games and smiled as I looked them over. I knew Gil liked Pokémon, judging from the fact that he had it in his DSi when we were on a few road trips. Maybe he'd like them as a present of sorts? I shrugged and put them back, thinking that I'd come get one later if I felt the need. I wandered over to where Kat was looking over a farming game. She showed me it and it seemed pretty cool!

"Matvey, do you think I should get it?"

"If you w-want to, then sure! It does seem p-pretty nifty"

She giggled a little for some reason... I think it was at the word 'nifty', but I didn't see the issue. I shrugged it off and she decided she would get the game. We went to the checkout and soon we were walking though the mall. We were just looking around when Kat smiled and pulled my sleeve, leading me into a shop. I suddenly found myself assaulted with various smells. We were in the Body Works store. I blinked a few times and looked around. There was various kinda of perfumes, soaps, body and hand lotions, and a few... erm... b-bedroom lotions as well. Once I got over the initial shock of all the smells in there, I began to search around. Kat looked like she was really enjoying herself. She went around smelling almost everything. I was a little more cautious, because I didn't want anything somehow squirting in my face. That would be embarrassing. I wandered over to the perfume section. They had a small shelf for cologne. I.. didn't have any, so I figured I should get some. I sprayed a little from a promising bottle on my wrist, then smelled it. It.. wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I put it back and kept searching. I had almost given up when I saw maple walnut-scented cologne. I sprayed some on my other wrist and smelled it. That was much better!

"Hey, Kat! H-how does this smell?"

She walked over and smelled the cologne, then smiled.

"It is good, da? Will you be getting it?"

"I-I think so. It really smells n-nice... are you finding anything you like?"

"Well, I have been trying to find some moisturizer because I get really dry hands at this time of year. I found some that is watermelon scented, but considering it's winter, wouldn't that be kind of silly?"

"M-maybe, but then it means th-that summer has come early for your hands"

She laughed and decided to buy the bottle after all. I got the cologne and we walked on. Kat had picked the stores so far, so I was looking out for one that seemed interesting. There was one that had beautiful artwork on display in the back. We decided to check it out. When we got in there, we saw that there were many zodiac and birthstone related items. In a case at the back of the room, there was various daggers that looked real. These intrigued me, and I was choosing which one Gil might like, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Kat pointed me to areal swords, handing on the wall directly opposite of the daggers. There was one that looked like it almost had the iron cross in the handle. I asked Kat to take a picture so I could show Gil later. I was sure he'd love it! We didn't get anything from there, so we chose to continue on our way.

We'd been in the mall for roughly an hour, and we were starting to get thirsty. We found a tea place that had lots and lots of choices. As soon as I saw the Oh Canada tea, I picked it. Kat chose orange-flavoured tea. We got our drinks and sat at the little chairs in the small store, waiting for our drinks to cool down. Katyusha was the first to try her tea. She really liked it and continued drinking it, even though I'm sure she burned her tongue. I sipped mine and smiled. It tasted really good! We stayed in the chairs for a little, sipping our drinks in comfortable silence. Just as we were finishing, Kat got an idea.

"Matvey! You do not have a suit, do you?"

"N-non... why?"

"Because now we are going to have you try one on! And then we can ride the escalators, if you wish"

"Hm... e-exactly how many times will we be riding th-the escalators?"

It's a little weird, but I love escalators for some reason. Kat put on a thinking face.

"As many as you would like"

"Let's g-go try on suits, then"

We threw out our cups and I got all but dragged to a fancy suit store. I was a little nervous going in, as my fancy level was probably in the negatives. Kat told me not to worry; that she was a good friend of one of the people who worked there. We went in and I immediately recognised the person at the front desk. He looked like he recognised me as well.

"Like, it's you! That guy who was there when Tori and I got our cute little puppy!"

I smiled and blushed a little.

"Ah, o-oui, I am! How has your puppy been?"

"Oh, she has been eating everything, yo! But she is so cute, I can't stay mad at her for very long! So, not that I'm not totally happy to see you, but why do you need a suit? Going on a fancy date with your boyfriend?"

I blushed deeper and shook my head.

"U-um, not that I know of... but Kat th-thought I should try on a suit, a-and pretty much dragged me he-"

"Oh, that is totally wicked! Like, let's get you a suit! I know just what will be perfect for you!"

The green-eyed store person ran into the back of the room. While he was back there I tried to stop blushing. Being taken on a fancy date wasn't necessary, and I was sure Gil knew this. Speaking of Gil, I wondered how he ws doing? Were he and his closest friends getting into some kind of trouble? I chuckled as I answered myself with a 'probably'. This _was_ Gil we were talking about, after all. The short blond came back with a jet black tux. I hate to say it, but it looked kind of intimidating. However, I was dragged to the change rooms anyways. With the store person and Kat's help, I soon got the clothing on. Kat fixed my collar and smoothed down the sides, then stepped back to let me look at myself in the mirror. It didn't even look like I was staring back at me! Instead, it looked like a person in the business world, or someone getting married, or something like that. I blushed a little, wondering in the back of my head if I'd ever need a tux like this. It was probably really expensive. Just as quickly as it had been put on me, it was off and my regular clothes were back on. I smiled and wriggled a little in my favourite sweater, liking it a lot more than the rigid fabric of the tux.

"So, did you look totally awesome or what? Bah, what am I saying? Of course you did! You should totally get this sometime, bro. It's your size and fits your body perfectly!"

I blushed and nodded, not knowing what other response to give. I said goodbye and made a hasty retreat. Once we were away from the store, I facepalmed at myself.

"Oh mon dieu, th-that was embarrassing"

"And painful to watch. Anyways, there is more of the mall to see, so come on!"

Kat grabbed my sleeve and tugged me down the hall. I smiled a little as I wondered where I would be dragged next. Hopefully not to another fancy store, because as we learned, I don't do well in them.


	34. Two Meetings I Did Not Want

True to her word, Kat led me to a set of escalators. But these weren't the rather small ones near the food court. These were on the exact opposite side of the mall, and led to the top floor. I stared at the huge(ish) escalators and turned to Kat with an excited grin. She smiled and walked on the one that was going up. I followed her and watched as a fountain, which was almost directly below us, shot water up. I thought I could make out some coins in the bottom of the fountain, but the spray that was shooting up and very narrowly missing Kat and I obstructed my view. Once we got up there, I looked around. The stores up there seemed to be predominantly women's clothing stores... Kat saw my hesitation and dragged me to one.

"Oh, Matvey, this is my favourite clothing store! You will like it here... I think. I believe they have men's clothing as well"

Based on the pink outside and the rather girly designs of the name of the store (which I didn't catch because I was dragged in there so fast), I didn't think she was right about the men's clothing. We went in and in a few minutes, I was surrounded by pink walls and pink coat hangers. The clothes, or what I got to see of them as I was dragged through the store, looked very nice. I thought I saw a shirt that Kat had worn before, but I wasn't entirely sure. Of course, I couldn't go back to check because I was still being dragged around. Kat finally released me and started looking through some shelves and racks. I just stood k-kind of awkwardly against a wall. I was looking around, people watching, when I saw someone I thought I recognised.

And lately, seeing people I recognised had not been good.

The guy I saw was tall, with black hair and tanned skin. He was wearing a green hoodie and jeans with a chain going from a belt loop to his pocket. He turned a little, and as soon as i saw that he was wearing a mask, I knew who he was. I pointed him out to Kat, and when I did, all the blood drained from her face.

"M-Matvey... this is not good... in fact, this is terrible"

"W-why?"

"Because if he sees me, he will harass me, and I do not believe I want that to happen. Especially not in Neat-le and Thread!"

The name of the store was a play on words type thing, based off of 'needle and thread'. However, the slightly humourous pun was the least of my worries. I really didn't want Katyusha to be harmed in any way, be it physical, verbal or other, so I tried thinking of a way to get her out of the store. My thinking was cut short as I saw her ex look over, and do a double take. A wicked grin spread across his face as he sauntered over to us. I stepped forward and gently pushed Kat behind me, so she wouldn't be hurt. The mask-wearing guy stopped about two feet in front of me. He smirked and looked right over my shoulder at Kat.

"Hey there, sweetheart~ What are you doing with rainbow-shitter over here?"

I frowned and got a little angry at the insult.

"Please just back off. We didn't come here to g-get in trouble"

"Hm. Then what did you come here for? Oh, I know. Maybe you're not a rainbow-shitter after all,. Maybe, just maybe, kitty Kat here got in between you and vampire boy? Maybe she broke you up, and this is... a date?"

I was pretty mad at that. How dare he say that Kat broke Gil and I up, and that I was now on a date with the Ukrainian?! I got visibly upset and started glaring as hard as I could. That made him back up a little.

"Back off, you maple-sucking hoser!"

...Okay, that probably wasn't the best insult to use, but he couldn't say anything against it (really, what can you say when someone calls you that?). So I guess it kind of worked... I doubt he was insulted from being called a maple-sucking hoser, though. After he got over his initial verbal fumbling, he smirked.

"So, it _is_ a date! I knew it~"

What?! How the hell did he get that from... ugh. I was extremely angry by that point. Calmly, I asked Kat to hand me her phone. If he was just going to keep with this abuse, I was going to call in the big guns. The... I'm going to guess Turkish, from his slight accent. The Turkish man sneered.

"Ooh, what are you going to do? Call your ex and pretend to be still dating? Hah, I bet he's banging someone right now. Or, considering it's night, he might be going around biting people's necks... and other things"

That brought up the memories of Gil's story. Which infuriated me more. Still showing outward calmness, I called Gil's cell phone and put the phone on speaker. He picked up after the first ring.

"Hallo, Gilbert here"

"Bonjour, Gil"

I'm fairly sure he could tell from my voice that I was about to snap. We heard him sigh on the other end.

"What happened?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that we met Kat's ex and he's accusing Kat of breaking us up"

Gil laughed a little and tried to hold back what I thought was going to be a full blown laughing fit, complete with snorts and complaints that his sides hurt.

"K-kesese- ah, nein. He is very, very wrong... I wouldn't let anyone get in the way of our relationship"

I smiled a little at that, knowing both the other listeners could hear the feeling in his voice.

"And what are you doing now?"

"Bowling... well, actually Toni and me are waiting for Franny... she picked up a chick who is actually not in a relationship this time. I almost got a perfect game, but Toni's drunken unawesomeness made me get a gutter ball on the last shot of the tenth frame"

I looked up at the tall man, who appeared to be blushing. It was quite obvious from the way Gil talked that we were still in a relationship, and a good one at that.

"So, uh... I'll be back home in about.. an hour, since this is our last game. However, if Toni doesn't snap out of thinking he is a streetlight, I am going to curl him up and throw him down the lane"

I laughed at that, as did Kat.

"And I can't w-wait to hear about everything you guys did... um, if I-I can ask, how long has Francine been gone?"

"Long enough to let me know that she is having a lot of fun, if you get my meaning. Oh, by the way! I'm the only one not wasted! I feel kinda left out, though..."

"H-however you know that if you drive home drunk, Ludwig i-isn't going to be very happy, oui? And there's a good ch-chance of you crashing..."

"Ja, I know... plus, uh... I kinda don't think drunk cuddles would work"

"Non, I don't th-think so either... I'll see you at home, Gil"

"Alright, see ya liebling! Ich liebe dich"

"Je t'aime a-aussi"

I hung up after that giving a smug grin to the Turkish man. He didn't say another word to me, and was going to start talking to Kat again, when the store manager came out to investigate a complaint. The manager walked over and demanded to know what was going on. Kat and I explained the whole situation to him. The Turkish guy was promptly kicked out of the store and told not to come back. Once he was out of sight, I stepped away from Kat so she wouldn't feel squished behind my back and the wall. She sighed in relief and hugged me. I'm sure it wasn't meant to be a death grip, b-but that's what it ended up being.

"Matvey... I cannot thank you enough for helping me... I do not know what I would have done, had you not been here... someday, I will get the courage to tell him off or something... at least make him admit that he was terrible to me... anyways, there is a little more mall to see. Then, we can get sweets and perhaps something for Gilbert and for little sister!"

I was released from the hug of death and we walked out of the store. I looked at the name of it and chuckled. We went down the escalators without going to any of the other stores on this level, and I was quite glad for that. I got pretty uncomfortable in women's clothing stores. We made it down and walked around for a little. I wasn't sure what I would get Gilbert. Maybe that Pokémon game? Or maybe I could find him something else... then again, we would both be using his DSi for playing games. At my request, we went back to the gaming store. I found the game and also found that I had enough money for both versions. That would definitely provide a lot of entertainment for both of us! I decided to get them, and once I did we started walking again. I put the games in the bag I had gotten for my cologne, since it made sense to have everything in one bag.

Kat looked like she was searching for something as we walked down the spacious halls of the mall. She finally found what she was looking for: A tucked-away, multi-cultural food place. I smiled a little; it seemed I would get to taste Ukrainian food. We went into the store and it wasn't busy. But that didn't surprise me, considering how late it had gotten. We walked right up to the front. Katyusha got the cabbage buns and cherry bars for us to eat. We quickly got our food and sat down.

"This is my favourite thing to make, the cabbage buns! They are very yummy. These ones have sauerkraut in them"

I nodded and took a bite of one of mine. And I'm not sure about anyone else who'd tried it, but it was like a pillow of deliciousness! The bread was so soft, and the filling tasted delicious... I wondered if Kat's tasted better when she made them? I quickly finished my portion of the buns we'd gotten and tried the cherry bar. That was absolutely delicious as well!

"Kat, I-I am in food heaven right now"

She chuckled and patted me on the head, saying this was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Ukrainian cooking. After we finished there, we headed out of the mall and to the parking lot. We, ah... kind of got lost for a little, before I finally spotted her car. We walked to it and got in, started the rather short drive home. When I got there, I thanked Kat for the fun time and she thanked me in return. She drove away after saying goodbye, and I went in the house. It was empty, so Ludwig and Feli were probably walking the dogs or something like that. I sat on the couch and waited for someone to come home, while looking over the bottle of cologne I had bought. About ten minutes into my waiting, I heard barking. I went to the back door and opened it. All the dogs were in there. Kuma seemed especially happy to see me... I felt bad for not paying much attention to him. I picked him up and carried him to the couch with me so we could wait together. It was pretty late, so Feli and Ludwig must have been sleeping. Gil got home about fifteen minutes after Kuma and I went to the couch. My eyes lit up as soon as I saw Gil and I ran over with the bag in my hands, hugging him tight. He hugged back, nuzzling my hair and placing a soft kiss to my temple.

"So, did you miss me?"

"O-of course! D-did you miss me?"

He smirked and took off his coat and shoes, then kissed me. He pulled back after a few moments and picked me up, then carried me downstairs. So, I guessed the answer was 'yes'. Kuma came down with us. He found a pile of clothes (mine...) and flopped on it, then fell asleep. Gil set me on my feet and I set the stuff on the bed. He looked rather interested. I picked up the version of the Pokémon game I thought Gil would like best and gave it to him.

"Th-this is for you... I-I thought you might like it, so I got it and the other version as well"

Gilbert's eyes lit up as he took the game and looked it over.

"Birdie, this... this is awesome! You are going to get a ton of snuggles now~ As I tell about my- er, our adventures at the bowling alley!"

I chuckled and changed into pajama pants. Gil did the same and soon we were snuggled in the bed. I wrapped my arms around him and smiled softly, silently telling him to tell his story. He did so with a smirk.

"Alright. So, when we got there, this asshole started picking shit with us. Francine started flirting with him and he thought she was gonna let him... occupy her vital regions, but at the last second she screamed and looked horrified. Toni and I ran over and dragged him out of the bowling alley while Francine got our lane"

I rolled my eyes at that. It definitely sounded like something Gil and his friends would do... though, I'm sure the alleged 'asshole' really was mean to them in order for them to do that.

"Then, once we got our lanes, we got some beers and came back. Toni's kind of a lightweight, so by the third beer he was feeling the effects. He decided to throw the ball between his legs, and... he actually got a strike. Franny and I were about ready to smack him. Until Franny saw a hot chick who looked like she was alone. Francey-pants flirted and managed to get her to go to the bathroom. I bowled for her, and kinda... a-accidentally threw it across a couple lanes... however, I got a spare for a little kid, so that was pretty awesome! I think I made a dent in their lane, though... Toni was on his seventh beer and mein gott. He was terrible. He stood to the side holding his hand out and above his head, thinking he was a fucking streetlight. That was when you called, actually.

"When Franny finally came back, she managed to snap him out of it so he could take his damned turn. Franny saw her score, thanks to the awesome me, and, uh... she messed me up on my last tenth frame shot and I actually broke the machine in the back when I threw the gutter ball. Then Toni took his shot on the wrong lane and we almost got kicked out thanks to how drunk he was, but we had one more game so they let us stay. I bowled okay for the rest of the night, Toni thought he was a little kid and kept asking me to teach him how to bowl, Franny was off with that chick she picked up and ja... pretty much a normal night for us"

I laughed at his story and snuggled closer. It seemed that he had a very eventful night. However, the next few days were not so eventful. Life went on, and I had completely forgotten about the threat that was still looming over me... until one saturday night when the blizzard outside was so strong Gil and I could barely see across the street. I was washing dished when there were three short, almost angry sounding knocks. Gil kissed my cheek and went to answer it. I heard talking, and a voice I thought I knew.

"Hey, Birdie! Someone wants to see you"

"Is it A-Alfred?"

"Nein... but he's got the same cowlick thing"

I froze as I remembered who the only person to have the same cowlick as my brother had. I dropped the plate I was holding and it clattered into the sink, possibly chipping, but that wasn't in my list of things to freak out about just yet.

It seemed my father had come to visit... and if I weren't frozen in place, I would have run to Gil and told him to slam the door. But, I heard heavy boots come in the house. The footsteps got closer, until they stopped not two feet beside me.

"Ah, so you _are_ alive... hm. Looks like I underestimated you, rat"

Gil was immediately there holding me. I looked in time to see dad roll his eyes and mutter something homophobic, no doubt. It seemed the snow in the night had brought nightmares with it.. however, I couldn't wake up from this one, no matter how many times I pinched myself.

((Well guys, the next chapter will be the last. However! I have a detective story and a Pokemon story that will be coming out at probably the same time, both starring our favourite Prussian and Canadian~ Thank you for your amazing support throughout this story... you guys are the reason it made it this far at all. So thank you very much!))


	35. My Nightmare is Over

I turned in Gil's arms and started shaking like a leaf, trying to not cry. This was... ugh. Stupid as it probably is, I wasn't expecting him to come so soon! I thought it'd be at least a month before my father showed up... at least that's when I'd convinced myself he'd come. Gil hugged me tight and was quite obviously sorry for letting him in. Even though tears had started pouring down my cheeks, I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his cheek.

"I-it's okay, Gil... we expected this to h-happen..."

I spoke in even softer a voice than usual, so there was no chance of dad hearing us, considering he was probably still very homophobic. I hugged Gil as tight as I could through my shaking and felt him comfortingly rub my back.

"Sh, Birdie... I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. If you want, I don't have to say a word"

"Heh... th-that's gonna be pretty hard for you, Gil... y-you do tend to just rush in and say whatever"

He smirked a little at that, knowing I was right.

"Ja, but this is more important. I need to be there for you and we both know it. There needs to be _some_ awesomeness in that room"

I giggled a little. "But I-I'm going to be in there... are you saying I'm not awesome?"

"Wha- nein! N-nein I'm not saying you're not awesome I just- gaaaaaah"

That got a chuckle out of me. Gil was cute when he was flustered like that, and honestly... it helped calm me down. I was very grateful for that. Now I'd almost stopped shaking and my tears had slowed. He saw this and smiled, rolling his eyes playfully. I rolled my eyes back, before wiping them and taking his hand.

"W-we should go see dad now... r-right? When are Ludwig a-and Feli coming back from shopping?"

"The awesome me doesn't know, but hopefully soon... safety in numbers, ja?"

I nodded and gave him a quick peck on the lips, then walked out to the living room with Gil. We sat on the other couch. Gil immediately pulled me in his lap and held me close, being protective as usual. I blushed and smiled a little at that, then got comfy. I rested my head on his shoulder so I could still see dad, but could easily hide if needed. I saw my father frowning at our position, but he didn't say anything about it. He looked around the room and at the various pictures of my new family. He focused on the one of me with the three big dogs laying on or near me. Dad glanced back at me after he'd studied that particular picture, noting the differences. He relaxed on the couch, giving the place one last look over.

"Nice place you got here, rat"

"M-merci"

"So... how long have you been living with... what did you call him... Gil? How long have you been living with Gil?"

"I've been living w-with Gilbert and his family for about three or four weeks"

"And when did you start... dating him?"

"A-about a week after I started living here"

"Hm... that's pretty fast to fall in 'love'"

Gil growled a little at the obvious quotation marks around 'love'. We both knew that our love was real and yes, it had been pretty fast, but for us that didn't change a thing. I knew there was defiance somewhere in my posture or my eyes, because my father looked surprised. However, he quickly went back to his detached, almost bored look.

"You know, I didn't expect to see you again, much less alive. How did you manage to survive the five years?"

"I learned to play v-violin and played in the streets for money"

"On your deceased mother's violin?"

"Oui, w-where else would I get a violin?"

"Hm. You're a lot more sassy than when you were younger"

I shrugged. I guess I was more sassy, but now I wasn't living in constant fear of abandonment. Dad went back to the topic of the violin.

"You still have your mother's violin, right?"

"O-of course. I have been playing fairly recently"

"Play something for me. Let's see just how good you managed to get on that thing in five years"

Gil let go of me so I could get up. Back straight and a confident face on (for once) I walked to the basement. Now that I was an adult, and had been through everything I had been... I didn't see a reason to fear dad. As bad as it may sound, he was just another person now. Just another person who was there for my childhood, who first shaped me into a frail and scared child, then kicked me out so the world could shape me into what I am today. Huh... almost poetic, isn't it? I walked downstairs and to my violin case. I opened it and took out the picture of my mother first. I sat on the bed and stared at it, speaking to it for the first time in a while.

"Mama... I d-don't know why you married that man... and I'll probably never know. Maybe he was nice when you were dating... but I-I've only known him as mean and not fit to father anyone. I wish you were alive, or that you could somehow tell him what he d-did was wrong. M-maybe... maybe I'll tell him today. Stand up for younger me? I-I don't know. Je t'aime, mama..."

I kissed the picture for probably the five thousandth time and put it back, then got my violin and walked upstairs with it. I walked into the living room to see Gil glaring poison-tipped daggers at my father. I... may have smiled a little at that. Dad had obviously made some remark and this was Gil's way of telling him to not do it again. The best part was that no matter how hard he tried, my father couldn't look him in the eye and he looked rather nervous. I stood a little away from the couch and had the instrument in a ready position.

"Any requests?"

"Uh... n-no, just play whatever"

I looked back and saw Gil smirking. Rolling my eyes, I took a moment to think of what to play. Finally, I thought of a song that made me think of my mother. I started playing My Immortal by Evanescence. Closing my eyes, I focused on every single sound I was getting out of the violin. I played it almost perfectly, besides a timing mistake on the second chorus that I quickly covered and made it sound like part of the song. Halfway through playing, I briefly opened one eye to look at dad. He seemed surprised at my playing, and... almost sad. Then again, I would rank this song pretty high in the list of saddest songs of all time. I finished the song and sat down next to Gil, putting the violin on my lap. I opened my eyes to see dad actually looking impressed. And still not looking Gil in the eye.

"Not bad, not bad at all... It sounded... nice"

Nice. Well, I guessed it was better than having my performance flat-out hated.

"Merci beaucoup"

Silence fell over the three of us. Dad looked like he was trying to think of something to say, while I was searching for an opportunity to get him to tell exactly why he treated me the way he did. It couldn't have been all because my birth cost my mother her life. Perhaps I reminded him too much of her? Maybe he had depression or something and never got it treated. As cruel as he was when I was growing up, I knew he wasn't all bad. Gil broke the silence (surprisingly not with an insult).

"Why exactly did you come to see Birdie?"

Dad smirked and Gil immediately realised his mistake. He wrapped an arm around my waist and held me close to his side, just in case.

"Aww, isn't that cute! You gave him a nickname. Is that because you couldn't remember his real one?"

Gilbert was ready to fire back, but I spoke first.

"Leave h-him alone, dad. He knows my name"

I spoke calmly, but just beneath the surface there were sparks of anger. Gil knew me well enough to know that all he needed to do now was hold me back if I actually got angry. Insult me all you want, but insult Gil and you better watch out. Father, however, obviously didn't hear the undertone of my voice.

"Oh, really? He doesn't think you're forgettable and shouldn't even be on this planet?"

Dad stood up and so did I. I was actually taller than him... that made me smile for a brief second. Until, of course, I looked at dad's eyes. Thy were ice blue, but not like Ludwig's. Ludwig's eyes had warmth in them. The pair I was staring into now held no warmth at all. The room actually felt a bit colder. He glared at me, and I

"How dare you have sucked the life out of my beautiful Lyra?! The doctors said it was a low-risk pregnancy, and what did you do? You just had to come along and fuck that up. You just _had_ to kill your mother, didn't you, rat?"

Those words stung me. As I've mentioned before, I love my mother even if I never got to meet her. From pictures and things, I knew she would be kind and patient and probably... probably a lot like me. We had the same smile, and the same eyes. I took a deep breath and spoke in a voice almost exactly like Gil's, when he was calm but very threatening.

"I didn't kill Mama. Obviously it was her time to go to heaven. Why can't you accept the fact that she's not with us anymore, that it happened twenty three years ago and just move on?"

"Because I loved her, dammit! You wouldn't understand that, brat!"

"Actually, I would. The second thing I took from the house was a picture of Mama. I love her a lot, and she probably didn't even get to hold me. While on the streets, I fell in love with a guy who ended up crushing my heart into a t-tiny little pile of pulp. I moved on from that, even though it hurt a lot to do so"

"It's not... not the same thing!"

"But it's close enough. Love and complete heartbreak"

Dad got pretty angry at that. The vein on his forehead was bulging and his glare would have normally made me back down. I guess he didn't like me comparing my former love for a man to his love for Mama. Gil was standing by, in case anything happened to me. Dad didn't speak for a few moments, so I jumped in.

"I have a question, _father_"

"And what might this question be, _son_?"

"Tell me exactly why you treated me like you did growing up. You only fed me enough to make teachers not suspicious, you tried to give me away to almost everyone, you forgot me at the airport, you screamed and yelled at me for things that weren't my fault and, on occasion, you beat me. Tell me exactly what I did to deserve those things. Oh, wait. I can answer that myself. I did absolutely nothing! My grades were good, better than Alfred's, I rarely disobeyed you, unlike Alfred, and my mother... if I had it my way, I wouldn't have been born to you and Lyra. You are obviously not fit to be a father to anyone"

By the end of my little speech thing, I was growling and glaring as hard as I could. My anger had finally boiled over. It was time to stand up for myself, to try to get dad to see that what he did to me was wrong and should never have happened. He looked very surprised, and actually backed off a little. Gil took a small step toward me, ready to restrain me if dad's answer was much less than satisfactory. My father still looked shocked... and since he wasn't talking I decided to deliver the final blow.

"Dad. Is that what mom would have wanted? If she saw you while she was looking down from heaven, I think she'd be glad that she was away from the empty husk of the man she married. Her only problem would be that her children, who she would have loved equally and paid equal attention to, were with that empty husk until one got kicked out and the other went to America"

My voice was low, but pretty angry sounding. Kind of like the low sound a cat makes, which is usually the final warning for you to back off. My words must have gotten to dad. He opened and closed his mouth as he tried to think of a retort. But... I'm not sure that there _was_ a retort to what I said. Everything was true. Dad took a few minutes to dissect everything I said and compare it with what he'd done to me when I was younger. He was probably thinking back to when mom was still alive and all the promises of love he'd made to her and their unborn children. His face became slightly horrified and sad as he realised his mistakes, one after the other. Eventually he couldn't stand anymore. He sat back on the couch and looked me over.

"But... your birth took her life..."

I felt the anger in my body slowly leave when I heard the sorrow in his voice. It wasn't even an attempt to get me angry anymore. He was trying to make himself believe it now. I sat beside my father and put an arm around him.

"That happens sometimes, dad. Mom was j-just the one in a couple thousand that didn't make it"

He nodded and sighed, not fighting back against that.

"Do... do you really think your mom would be that disgusted by me?"

"Um... well, if she was anything l-like me-"

"She was"

Dad looked at me now, his cruel, cold gaze turned to sorrow as he realised all his mistakes. Just looking at his eyes I knew that every memory he had of me as a child and later a teenager was playing, and this time he knew why I was crying when he said a sharp word to me or when I was showing him a test and he totally blew me off, or showed me one of Alfred's sporting trophies instead.

"She was a lot like you, Matthew... all she ever wanted was to have a loving family, with a few kids, a-a husband who would always care for them... and then, after the kids were big enough she'd go back to school and get a degree in music and start teaching it at a professional place... a-a-and she'd teach you and Al all about music... she was always a bright one in school, but... she was pretty athletic too... she would have been proud of you... she probably is proud of you..."

He was tearing up as he said that. I looked over at Gil and he had taken a seat again, but he was still watching carefully. I smiled at him and he gave me a smirk back. Dad must have seen, because he huffed a little.

"I still don't understand why exactly you're in love with another man, nor will I ever, but... obviously he's given you the things I couldn't. As long as you're not making out in front of me, he's...f-fine by me"

I gave a bright smile at that and Gil's smirk grew. I think... that might have been the first time dad saw me genuinely smile. He gave a quick smile back, before he got on his coat and left. I smiled as wide as I could manage as soon as the door was shut and jumped in Gil's arms, laughing happily and snuggling close. Mon amour held me tight to him and I looked up at him with big, loving grin. Dad... well, he at least saw my side of the story now, and while I think him accepting Gil was just because he was so overwhelmed by emotion, I was very, very happy. All the stuff I had been through to get up to this point seemed at least a little worth it now. And thanks to this conversation, and everything that had happened in the last three or four weeks... Silent Music was silent no more.

((This is the final chapter of Silent Music! Thank you to absolutely everyone who reviewed, favourited, or followed, because honestly... you guys are what's kept me going. I am willing to write an extra thing for this, but I'll need ideas from you guys. Also... I did write smut for this, so I'll post that shortly (once I stop blushing). And I know we probably won't hit this, but... 400th reviewer gets a free one-shot. Same rules apply as last time. Again, thanks to everyone, and I hope you liked the story!))


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